Don't Make Me Strangle You
by Kegogi
Summary: Lily Evans really can not stand moving away from London and her only friend, Alison. Now she has her very annoying new neighbor, James Potter to contend with. Hey, he's Lily's only company; she never said she had to like him...UPDATED!!!
1. Life's Little Bumps

Disclaimer: None of the characters (except for in later chapters) in this fanficition belong to moi. They all belong to the wonderful J. K. Rowling. So please don't sue me. Oh yes, but several characters coming up in future chapters are mine... I'll let you know, though! Thank you for your time and patience. And now on to the story! *Giggles insanely*

Don't Make Me Strangle You

By Kegogi

Chapter One: Life's Little Bumps

Lily Evans sighed as she took one last glance around her bare, empty bedroom. How she'd miss the cool afternoons when she watched the bussling people make their way home. How she'd miss the sound of church bells ringing in the distance every Sunday. How she'd miss the strange, greasy looking stains splattered here and there along the floor (she and her sister had concocted several "kitty yums" with which they had tried to feed the cat). But most of all, Lily would miss her friend, her only friend, Alison. Just thinking of leaving her made every breath painful and the memories agonizingly bittersweet. 

Sinking down to the bare oak floor, she put her face into her small hands and began to sob quietly. She didn't want to leave London, her best friend, her _life_, but her father had gotten a job offer in a small village near Sudbury— a miserable fifty miles away!

__

"But it's not going to be all that bad," her mother tried to reason with her, _"you'll make new friends... And we're living in a nice, quiet village! Won't you like that? A nice little community would be very good for you, you know."_

"No, I want London and Ali!"

Lily hated to be told what was good for her. No one knew what was good for her. Only she did. Only Lily.

But she now saw how useless it had been to argue with her parents. She just had to face the horrible truths of life sooner rather than later.

"LILY!"

Lily's head snapped up abruptly, and she took a look around the room again.

"Lil, you little— we're going to leave without you, you know!" Petunia's high-pitched squealing reverberated down the empty hallway.

_'Fine by me' _Lily thoght angrily. Standing up slowly, she went out to se what her sister was babbling about.

"There you are," snapped her 13-year old sister, "I was wonderiing where you've gotten to."

Lily shrugged her shoulders and sighed as she followed her sibling out the front door and into her family's car. It was a lurid green color with cracking brown leather seats and smelled of cigarette smoke. She wrinkled up her nose in disgust and coughed dryly, earning her a piercing stare from her sister.

"I hate this car," Lily mumbled darkly. In fact she hated just about everything right now. She hated it all, except for her cat, Brownie. 

"Hey there," she cooed as she scratched behind his ears. She listened to her kitten's purring and closed her eyes. For the first time in a long time, she actually felt content. It was just that something about animals intrigued her. Made her feel safe.

Loved.

"Richard!" a yell shattered Lily's feeling of tranqility and she was thrusted, once again, into misery.

"Richard, I thought you said the movers had that van fixed, didn't you?"

"It _is _fixed, Marianne. It just can't hold much more of the furniture. We have to leave that trunk behind—"

"We are not leaving that here. That was a gift from my grandmother!"

"Yes, well I hate to tell you this, but your gran was a looney old bat for handing somthing that... that... huge to a seven year old,"

"My grannie was NOT a looney old bat, Richard, and you know it—"

"Really. Well she never tried to hit you over the head with a cane, did she?"

"But you stepped on her gerbil! You know how she loved her gerbil..."

"Only friend she ever had... I remember now—"

Lily heard the car door open and Petunia stepped inside snickering quietly, "Dad's right. Grand-nan was a looney old bat... Please move the cat."

Silently, Lily obliged and moved her pet onto her lap. She closed her eyes again. She didn't want to have to put up with this... Definitely not this...

All this poor little girl wanted to do was lay in her warm bed, in her familiar room. She definitely didn't want to spend the next four hours in a small, confined space with her family.

Not her family.

Richard and Marianne both got into the car grumpily. Lily heard the roar of the engine as it started, then she succumbed back to her thoughts.

The red head sighed. Yet, even though the love was there, she felt her family _still _didn't understand her. Her father often worked long hours and didn't spend much time with his family.

Her mother tried to pay attention to her daughters, but the worry of always having to pay the next bill kept her from doing much of anything. And as for Petunia? Petunia could be the most helpful person in the world... sometimes. She did Lily's hair, told her stories, but as being the big sister... Sometimes she wasn't as helpful as she could be.

'_Yes, life is unfair, dear,' _she said to herself.

Lily gazed longingly out the window. London was flashing by in nothing but a blur. A blur that would be gone soon. 

Very soon.

They didn't even let her say 'goodbye' to her friends. Oh how angry Alison would be when she found out they moved already. Lily could just imagine her face red as a tomato, her brown pigtails bobbing behind her as she shook her head in anger. 

Lily would give anything to be with her again... Even if she was steaming out the ears.

Giving up all hope of ever seeing her again, she closed her eyes and wept bitterly. _Time flies when you're miserable, _she thought to herself.

¤~*~¤~*~¤~*~¤

The family drove in complete silence, apart from a few sniffles from Lily. She sat and stroked her cat as she stared out the window, thinking about leaving London, and Alison, and her house, and... Sadly she sighed for the ump-teenth time that day. They had left London about two hours ago, and still, another long leg of the journey was ahead of them.

Again Lily sighed.

"Oh will you stop it?" Her mother turned all the way around in her seat to scowl at her daughter, but softened as she saw the look upon her face. "Look, dear, I know this is hard on you, but everybody has to go through with this sort of thing in their lives. But one thing you have to have is a positive attitude! Just think about all of the things you'll be able to do once we get there! And you'll make new friends! Just think of that!"

But Lily didn't want to think of that... She didn't want new friends... She just didn't want to talk about it. Instead, she changed the subject. "I'm hungry," she stated plainly. That statement wasn't entirely true, however.

Marianne sighed. Sometimes she just couldn't talk to her daughter... "Alright... Petunia, are you hungry?"

Petunia gazed up over the edge of the novel she had been reading and shrugged. "I guess,"

Marianne tapped her husband on the shoulder, "Richard, do you want to take a break, the girls are getting hungry."

"No!" Richard gasped not taking his eyes off the road, "Marianne, we need to make time!"

"Oh for Christ's sake, Richard, the girls are being starved and you can't even stop for thirty minutes just to let them snack on something?" Marianne snapped.

"No,"

"DAD!" both girls whined in unison. Two pairs of small hands slapped Richard lightly on the shoulder, and he rolled his eyes.

"Look, the movers charge by the hour, and I don't want to have to pay any more money than I have to!" he answered.

"So Richard, is that all you can think about? Money? Over your daughters' well-being?" Marianne challenged. "Stop the car at the next restaurant."

"But—"

"Richard, I said STOP THE CAR!"

¤~*~¤~*~¤~*~¤

Fifteen minutes later, the little green car that belonged to the Evans family pulled into a small, greasy-looking pub. Mrs. Evans frowned as she looked it over. "Maybe we should try somewhere else?"

"Nonsense Marianne," Richard said, "The girls were starving, weren't they? It would be so unfair if we had to drive another hour before stopping yet again to a seedy looking restaurant."

Marianne scowled as she pushed open the pub's door. Lily and Petunia followed with their father bringing up the rear. In one corner there was an unshaven man smoking a cigar while drinking shots. In the other, a drunk was slumped over the bar sleeping, a thin trail of saliva oozing from his open mouth. Marianne's frown deepened, but before she could get a hold of her children to drag them out of there, a rather busty blonde woman hustled over in their direction.

"Hello everybody! Hello handsome," she winked over in Richard's direction. Richard smiled nervously in return, and Marianne growled something under her breath. "How're all of yeh?"

"Wonderful," Marianne replied curtly.

The blonde looked surprised at Marianne's temper but went on, "My name is Trish, 'n I'll be yer waitress for t'day, " she babbled on about the day's specials as she led them to a table that was unoccupied and plopped four menus onto its surface.. Lily wasn't paying much attention to it all, and apparently, Mrs. Evans wasn't either. As soon as she sat down at the table, she whipped out a frilly handkerchief and proceeded to scrub the wooden table to death. "Ma'am, is there somethin' wrong?" Trish asked.

"Oh nothing," Marianne lied. She flashed the waitress a false smile, and put the handkerchief away.

"In that case," the blonde said, "what'll the little ladies like ta drink?"

Lily shrugged, "Water I guess," 

"I'll have the same," came Petunia's muffled reply; her head was still buried in the book.

Both Richard and Marianne ordered their drinks.

"That'll be all, Handsome?" she asked Richard.

Richard's face turned red, but Marianne answered for him. 

"Alrigh' ever' 'un. I'll be back with yer drinks soon," Trish said. 

Lily had not dared to look up the whole time. She didn't want that woman to see that she had been crying. Only when she heard the _click, click _ of Trish's high-heels against the wood floors fade did she look up. Her mother was sitting at one edge of the round table with a rather sour expression on her face. She was still examining the table for something. Marianne had always been a neat-freak, and Lily was surprised that she hadn't had a heart-attack upon her first glance at this place. Lily glanced at her father next. His ears were still pink, from when Trish called him handsome, and he was sitting stiff as a board. Lily didn't even bother to look at Petunia; she knew her face would still be in that dumb novel... It was something about Merlin and Arthur, or something along those lines. Didn't she know that wizards and magic just _were not _real_?_

Trish came hurrying back with a tray of glasses of water and set them down at the appropriate places. Marianne wrinkled her nose when she saw the state of the cups; the glass was almost yellow with scum and the water looked cloudy. "Well, what'll it be?" Trish asked.

Lily and Petunia ordered the same thing, a plate of chicken and some crisps, and Richard ordered a turkey sandwich. Marianne insisted that she didn't need anything, possibly out of her fear of the state of the plates. Lily sat around, watching the various people come and go. There were the drunks, the gamblers, the young couples out, maybe, to get away from the prying eyes of their parents. Nothing looked too exciting... Maybe Petunia was right to get lost in a book of legends and excitement. That book certainly was more exciting than what was going on here...

After what seemed like an age, Trish came back balancing a tray of food in one hand. She quickly set it all down, almost knocking over Petunia's water before running off to another table.

Lily slowly picked at her food with her fork. Truth be told, she wasn't hungry at all. She also felt that if she ate anything, she'd just spew it all back up again. She wished she'd been more like her mother and not order anything. The chicken was swimming in its own grease, and the crisps were all limp... Even worse, the plate was chipped. Surely if she took a bite of anything, she'd get a piece of glass stuck in her braces.

"Honey, why aren't you eating?" Mrs. Evans asked.

Lily just shrugged her shoulders and continued to mutilate the chicken breast with her fork. Just then, Trish came bustling back to ask how the meal was going, but stopped abruptly when she saw Lily. "Is anything wrong hun?" she asked.

Lily didn't know how to answer. Lily didn't want to answer. Her mother, though, came to her rescue. "She's just a bit upset about everything right now. You see, we're right in the process of a move."

Trish nodded knowingly, "Yeah, I've been through that sorta thing,"

Lily's head snapped up, "Really?"

"Oh yeah, dearie, I was thirteen when I had to move from here to Aberdeen. Oh Dear Lord, I din't want to leave all of me friends... But I went anyway... It was so hard..."

"And how did you deal with it?" Marianne interjected, "I bet you put stuck to it with a positive attitude, and within a few months, you forgot about this place, right?"

"No actually I didn't," Trish said, "I ran away from home abou' six months later. It was a bit hard for 'bout ten years, but I turned out okay. I got a job at this here lil' pub for the past eight years—" she held her arms out in a 'and here we are' expression.

Marianne frowned at this, but Trish went on, "Believe me, kid. Don't you ever make the mistakes I did. I know I just made tha' sound like it ain't no big deal, but if yer not careful, you could just ruin yer whole life. Be very, very careful."

Lily looked at Trish with wide eyes and squeaked. She didn't know if she liked that story... Maybe Trish had to be very lucky to get where she was now...

¤~*~¤~*~¤~*~¤

Back in the car, the Evanses started to drive again. This time, Richard swore that he would stop for no one... Even if he had to run over a child to do it (both girls and his wife slapped his shoulder for that one). And again, Lily resumed to look out the window, thinking about everything, of all things... Of her life, her friends, her family... and how everything could just be so unfair.


	2. Conversing With Freaks

Disclaimer: None of the characters (except for in later chapters) in this fanficition belong to moi. They all belong to the wonderful J. K. Rowling. So please don't sue me. Oh yes, but several characters coming up in future chapters are mine... I'll let you know, though! Thank you for your time and patience. And now on to the story! *Giggles insanely*

Chapter Two: Conversing With Freaks

Lily was just about suicidal. Maybe it was because she hated the scenery of rolling green hills passing by endlessly. Perhaps she was just lonely for her friend. Possibly, it was because her parents had been singing "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" for the third time in two hours. Whatever the reason, as soon as the car had come to a stop, Lily all but jumped through the windshield.

She groaned as she tried to walk for the first time in two hours. Her father had refused to stop the car saying after the lunch break saying, "We need to make time!" 

Whatever time he wanted to make, Lily would never know. They left London at about 8 o'clock in the morning, and it was now only quarter past two... They still had plenty of time to explore.

Finally having stretched her aching muscles enough, Lily dared to look around her. What met her gaze was _nothing_ like London. There were fields of green rising and falling all around them, and the street they were on barely had any houses on it at all. Just a few chickens running about... nothing much at all...

"Isn't this house wonderful?" Richard boomed to his family, "Isn't this place wonderful?"

Lily spun around on the spot for a moment, trying to figure out which one of their houses was her family's; all of the homes on the street looked the same.

"Er—dad?"

"Yes Lily dear,"

"Which one's ours?"

"Oh," Richard replied merrily, "see that one over there?" 

"No, really daddy," Petunia said, slouching over, "which house is ours?"

"I'm being serious, girls... That one right over there!"

Petunia's mouth dropped open as Lily's eyes got bright. Both girls stared at an old, grey, Victorian-era home. 

"No dad, I think you've made a mistake," Petunia said finally, "I mean, isn't it a tad too run-down?" she glanced at one of the broken windows and the gate which was falling off of its hinge.

"I must admit. It is a bit of a fixer-upper... But its nothing that a little family teamwork can't fix." Richard said to his daughter.

"I think this home is fantastic, " Lily whispered under her breath. It was just like all of the old homes in the stories she liked to read... Ancient, dark, and probably haunted....

"Just more fun," she smirked. With that, she picked up her trunk and followed the rest of her family to the heavy wooden door that guarded its entrance.

Lily nearly gagged as the musty smell of mold filled her nostrils. Not only was this place ancient, dark, and probably haunted, but it _reeked_ too. 

Slowly she turned around and glanced at everything in the room. Slightly to her left was a large staircase, and to her right was what seemed to be the parlor. Straight ahead was the long hallway that lead to the kitchen. Neatly dropping her bags onto her sister's foot, she followed her father down the corridor into the kitchen. Here and there, she found a door; one leading to the bath, another was a storage closet, and another led to the cellar.

"This place is so big... I could probably get lost in it and die of starvation," Lily breathed.

"Not a bad idea, " Petunia remarked dryly. 

Richard chose to ignore that last statement and casually went to the wall switch and flicked it up. Nothing happened.

"Lil, will you go find another light bulb, please?"

"Maybe... If I don't will you move me halfway across the country again?," she asked.

Lily did the first sensible thing that came to mind, and checked all the drawers in the kitchen for some spare bulbs. She rummaged around in this one then that one, finding nothing more than a few pieces of paper and a few glass baubles... nothing more than junk. 

"Dad, I'll be right back," she called over her shoulder and tore down the hallway, almost colliding with one of the movers, who was bringing up her chest of drawers. She skidded to a halt in front of her mother who was directing where the furniture was to be placed in the parlor at the time.

"What is it Lily?" her mother asked in a tired tone. The ride up to the new house had been hard on her too; she had to pry her daughters apart on more than one occurrence to keep them from driving the whole car off a cliff.

"Dad just wanted to know if we had any spare light bulbs," she said.

"Oh, " Marianne sighed, relieved. She beckoned to her daughter to follow her into the living room and proceeded to throw around various bags and objects until she found the one she wanted. She handed it to her daughter with a kiss, "here you go, dear."

"Thanks mum," Lily said. Slowly she turned around and began walking back to the kitchen, not paying much attention to what she was doing; her head was stuck all the way into the burlap handbag searching for a spare bulb. 

"Gotcha!" Lily smiled triumphantly as she held it up to the light. This, however, didn't do much good since everything in the house was just a little more shadowy than usual. "Dad! I have the last one!" she yelled into the kitchen. 

Yet, if she had been watching where she was walking instead of watching the light bulb, Lily might have actually gotten it into the kitchen in one piece. 

"Hrrmph!" she gasped as she tripped over a piece of the upturned carpet. The light bulb she had been grasping just moments earlier like a prize trophy slipped out of her grasp. Lily watched in utter horror as the light fell downward towards the floor in an alarming pace. 

CRASH!

The little round piece of glass hit the ground and shattered. Little slivers exploded everywhere around Lily's feet.

"Damnit!" she cursed loudly.

The sound of her father scraping up off the floor and stomping down the hallway told her she did something very, very wrong. His face was an ugly yellow color and his lips, which were usually curved up into a cheerful smile, were now pursed.

"What did you just say?" his voice was very even and quiet. The movers who were carrying up Petunia's bed at the moment stopped... only a second, though, because it was family business.

"Um—" Lily mumbled. No idiot would repeat _that_ word in front of her father.

"That's what I thought," Richard said finally. He firmly grasped his daughter's arm and dragged her up the stairs, "Robert," he nodded and smiled to a passing mover.

"You know that I'm not happy about this," Richard said to his daughter as soon as Robert was out of earshot, "to think that my own _child_ has the _nerve_ to use that sort of language. I hope you know how much you've disappointed me."

"You'd be ready to disown me if you ever found out what type of language I'm capable of," Lily said.

"Look," her father said as he led her into a room, "I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but I don't like it! Not at all. You're grumpy, sarcastic... What's the matter?"

"_What's the matter_?" Lily asked him in disbelief, "How can you not know what the matter is? You've practically kidnapped me and stuck me here in the middle of nowhere! I've no one to talk to, no one to listen. Alison is probably having a grand old time back in London, _without me_! And I hate it here, I hate it here, I hate it here, _and I hate YOU for bringing me here!_" she finished this last part in a rather shrill tone; this was the first time since their departure that she was trying very hard not to cry.

"Lilian, I know this move is difficult on you. When I had to move from Trewissick I hated it. But you can't just mope on like this... You're going to hurt yourself if you keep this up."

"So,"

"Just try to enjoy it up here. I know it's not what your used to, but I think you'll like it," he patted her shoulder and began to walk away, Lily in close pursuit.

"And where do you think you're going," he said, finally turning around.

"Downstairs,"

"Oh no you don't," he put a hand out to stop her, "you are going to stay up here for the rest of the night."

"_WHAT?_" Lily's eyes went wide, "you can't!" 

"You need to learn how to think before you speak," Richard stated simply, "next time if you wish to say something, make sure it's appropriate."

"Dad,"

But Lily's father just shook his head no. Before long, he disappeared behind the door, and Lily was left alone.

"Great job, idiot," she told herself, "you got yourself grounded in less than an hour after arrival!"

Sighing, she took a look around. Ugly peach-colored walls stared back at her_. 'Everything in this house is so homely,' _she thought. She barely realized that what she thought at this point contrasted severely to what she thought earlier. The movers had definitely brought up all of her belongings. There was just one problem. This was not her room. _Her_ room was two-hundred miles away in London. 

London. Her mind now drifted back to her home. Her _old _home. How she wanted to be back there, in _her_ room with her friend. Not here. _Never_ here. Here, she was alone. She had nobody. Well, except for her cat, but Brownie didn't count. _Being alone, though, has its advantages, _she said to herself. True, she could start on her part of the house before everyone else. She mite as well make the best of it.

Soon she proceeded to move objects around her bedroom —correction— the room that she would be sleeping in but not her _bedroom_, as that was in London. She grumbled to herself... Something about those movers not having any sense. They had put her collection of porclain dolls underneath a box of books. Grumpily, she swept around the room, picking up odds and ends, books and toys, bags of clothes and hair pins (she had refused to cut her hair, and it was now way bassed her shoulders). Despite herself, though, she began to hum, having a good time rearranging her possessions.

¤~*~¤~*~¤~*~¤

Finally, after long hours of work, the last thing she dared to touch was her bed. She strained hard to slide it across the floor, and it managed to leave deep gashes in the wooden floor beneath it. Again she tried to throw her weight against it, but it only gave way a few more inches. '_If only I was as fat as my cousin Betty,_' Lily thought. Exhausted, she slumped down next to one of its legs and groaned.

Suddenly, the bed fell out from behind her, and she flew onto her back, her legs falling up infront of her. The poor bed itself went flying across the room at a speed which amazed Lily and landed in a loud crash on the other side. 

"Strange," she mused from her vantage point, which was currently upside-down.

"Lily!" her mother yelled up the stairs, "what's going on up there?"

"Er, nothing mum," Lily answered back. She was having a hard time talking. Her spit had gathered at the back of her throat, making it very difficult to swallow. "I just tripped and knocked over the bedside, that's all!"

Lily could hear her mother murmuring something in response, but didn't pay much attention to it. What really startled her was the fact that her bed just slid across the room as if it was on ice. Either that, or she had developed amazing mutant powers... However she doubted this. Lily sat bolt upright. What really had happened? Tiptoeing to her bed, she tried to lift one side up. When something popped in her back, she knew she had gone too far, but her mind still raced for an answer.

"Maybe this place really _is _ haunted,"

"Now that would be a surprise, wouldn't it?" another voice answered.

Startled, Lily looked up. Slowly, she surveyed the room. Her green eyes wide with fear, she searched every dark crevice in the room. Finally in hope of finding nothing, she looked at her window.

"What the..."

Staring back at her was a boy who looked to be her age. Sitting peacefully on a branch of an oak tree, his wild, black hair was ruffled by a breeze. His dark eyes were partially hidden by his round glasses, which he pushed back up onto the bridge of his nose. He stared back at the young girl with an amused expression on his face and chuckled. A faint glimmer of silver near his wrist also caught Lily's eye, but she just assumed it was his wrist watch.

Lily smiled back sweetly, but her good mood vanished almost instantly. "Who are you, what are you doing, and how long have you been sitting up there doing what you're going to tell me you're doing?"

"Could you rephrase that last part?"

Lily took a deep, calming breath and started again, "How long have you been up there?"

"Well, since you asked _so _nicely,"

"Get on with it," Lily snapped.

"I would if you'd stop interrupting,"

"I am not,"

"Are too, "

"No,"

"Yeah,"

"Nope,"

"Yes, "

"Oh hush up," Lily hissed.

"Then I can't answer any of your questions, now can I?"

"Then please— get on with it!"

"Not if you keep interrupting,"

"I AM NOT!"

"Déjà vu?"

"Just tell me your name," Lily said, frusterated.

"James Potter, at your service," He drooped his head in a ridiculous-looking bow, as he was sitting in a tree.

"Okay James, what are you doing?"

"Talking to you," he said innocently.

"Thank you, but what were you doing before that?"

"Arguing with you,"

Lily cursed inwardly before speaking again. Whoever this kid —James— was, he obviously liked to drive people mad... Especially when they're grounded.

"Look, er James," she started uncertainly— she absolutely didn't want to start another arguement, "why have you been looking through my window?"

"For your information, your _majesty_, I've been looking through your window waiting for you to get sweaty enough to take off a couple of layers," his eyes glinted mischieviously, "Or if you prefer, the whole thing."

Lily glared daggers at this boy. She would have said (before that last comment) that he was a nice boy... just a little arguementative. But now she knew his gross sense of humor... Or what she thought was humor. She stormed angrily to her window to slam it shut, '_Hopefully breaking those stupid glasses in the process,_'.

"I was just kidding you know, " he started.

She reached up to pull the window shut, but he stuck out an arm to stop her, "No, seriously. I was just sitting up in my tree, thinking— if you can believe that— when you came in."

"Your tree?"

"Yes, my tree. It is on my family's property, you know. I'm your new next door neighbor," he pointed to a house a little way's away. It was certainly larger than any of the other homes on the street and much more grand. "I thought I'd say 'hello' after you got up off of the floor..."

"Well," Lily said, a smile tugging at her lips, "you could've done that in some other way than almost giving me a heart-attack,"

James looked thoughtful, "I suppose, but that wouldn't be as much _fun_ now would it?"

"No," she said finally, "I guess it wouldn't," she smiled falsely, and without saying another word, she slammed the window shut and drew down the shades.

A.N. Hey people! I hope you like this story so far! This chapter is a bit longer than the last, as you can see, and it took a lot longer too! So, please be kind and R/R! It'll help a lot for my low self-esteem! J/K! Peace out until the next chapter! Love to all those who review!

And a special thanks to those special people who reviewed the last chapter. You guys give me motivation! :)

Kelton- It shows promise? YIPPEE!!! And I'll try to keep original! I promise!

Skye007lex- Thank you! ^_^

Lexie- I think your story is cute so far. I'm only on chapter 3 though... I still have to keep reading!

JR- I will keep on writing! Thanks for the review!

Harmony's Angel- Aaw... gee... thanks!

Queenoftheworld- I'm a fantastic writer? ::blushes:: Oh no I'm not. You just want to see my head explode because of my growing ego.... And I think you're a pretty good writer myself!

HeRsHeYkIsSeS17- Now how did you know James ws gonna make an appearance in chapter 2? You psychic or sumthin'? LoL!

SleepieCareBear- Thank you very much! 


	3. A Midnight Stroll

Disclaimer: None of the characters (except for in later chapters) in this fanficition belong to moi. They all belong to the wonderful J. K. Rowling. So please don't sue me. Oh yes, but several characters coming up in future chapters are mine... I'll let you know, though! Thank you for your time and patience. And now on to the story! *Giggles insanely*

Chapter Three: A Midnight Stroll

"Touchy touchy," James muttered to himself as he climbed down the giant oak tree, "Muggles are too defensive..." He jumped the last five feet to the ground and landed with a dull thud. _Maybe, _he thought to himself, _I should invite Sirius over to meet her._

He chuckled to himself. Now _that _would be funny. He could just imagine Lily's hair (bright lime-green) and Sirius laughing his ass off.

"Ah, the good life," he chortled to himself, "but back to business."

James hoisted himself over the brick wall and fell into his yard. In all truthfulness, he really was thinking up in the tree— thinking of his next prank. He had just about worked out all of the kinks when he heard a loud crash somewhere behind him. After almost falling out of the tree, he turned to peer into the window of a nearby house (a house which had been empty for the last seven years) and saw the young girl sprawled out on her back. She happened to be very red in the face and was yelling something downstairs.

However, James didn't know how a girl that small could make a crash that big. Yet, feeling a bit sorry for her, he had made it a point to take off his invisibility cloak to introduce himself; it was the least he could do since the girl almost tore a hole through the floor... James had counted on startling her, but he hadn't counted on being snapped at, argued with, or having windows slammed in his face. Most people he knew enjoyed his antics...

_But some Muggles can be so rude,_ _they wouldn't know common courtesy even if it bit them, _he thought, _but bother that..._ He had better things to do other than wallow in self-pity about how some Muggle girl didn't think he was the least bit funny. Right now, he had to gather the equipment for his next practical joke.

Old Mr. Hilliard, who ran the local candy store, needed some lightening up...

¤~*~¤~*~¤~*~¤

Lily scowled at the figure that was James as he scrambled over the wall. Grumbling, she closed the tiny crack she had made in the shades. With a kid like that, you had to be extremely careful about what you did...

"I wonder what his parents do all day, to let him run around like that?" she asked herself.

Yes, many times before she had gotten into several close scrapes. Luckily, she grew out of it. Childish behavior and little jokes were just too—well— childish. However, the thrill of adventure and the hilariousness of watching people writhe as their egos deflated were very enticing.

A slow, lazy smile crept along her face as she thought of past exploits with Alison.

One time, they had crept out of their homes in the dead of night, and slinked to the house of two brothers that annoyed them. Silently, they found Russell and Ben's room and through the lit window, they snapped pictures of the boys in their pajamas (little teddy bears and winged pigs). On their first day back to school, they passed around the prints and laughed the two boys out of class!

Of course Lily cringed when she first saw the boys in their jim-jams, but that was totally expected. Still, the embarrassment she and Ali caused them was worth the pain.

Suddenly, Lily frowned. Thinking of her friends made the tears come to her eyes once again. _Try not to cry, _she told herself. She took the back of her hand and ran it across her eyes again and again, trying, maybe, to rub the tears out. Sighing for the ump-teenth time that day, she collapsed onto her bed and began to sob, thinking about all the good times she had left far, far behind...

¤~*~¤~*~¤~*~¤

James paced around his bedroom. He had managed to gather everything he needed. Now he just needed to sit down and wait.

Quietly, he clicked off his light and glanced at his clock. The luminous red numbers flashed back at him: 10:15 P.M.

Just a few more hours, and his parents would be sound asleep... He just had to wait.

_Wait just a few hours..._

Just a few hours...

Few hours...

HOURS...

Unfortunately, patience was not one of his greater virtues...

Grunting impatiently, he fell heavily onto his bed. Yup... He often had to wait to set up his pranks... but still, watching the little lights flash on his clock was enough to drive him nutters.

Looking down at his bed, he amused himself with a little down feather from his pillow. It waved at him, back and forth... back and forth, with each breath he drew and exhaled.

10:19 P.M.

Slowly, he picked the feather from his pillow, and up he threw it. The feather floated down in an agonizingly slow pace before he let a little puff of breath carry it back up. James had an idea...

Dropping to his hands and knees, he got underneath the feather and blew it back up. This time it flew over his head before trying to alight once again. Bending backward, James propelled it back up again. This was actually amusing...

The poor little feather was now doing curly-Q's in mid-air as James made it soar again.

Now he had figured out his game. He had to get the feather into a little cup on his dresser, which was across the room, but it could not touch the floor or any other piece of furniture, AND he could only get it in with his breath. If it went over his head, he had to let it fall. From that point, he had to back up two feet and start again

Pure brilliance.

Again he looked at the clock: 10:23 P.M. 

_I've got to stop doing that, _he thought to himself as he threw up the small feather. It hovered for a second before deciding to move forward three feet. He pushed out another breath and it traveled again for another four feet.

James crawled on all fours quickly before it landed. The currents he created pushed the feather to his left. He snaked his way to it, and it soared again—over his head.

"Gaaah!" he mumbled softly.

Letting it land, he picked it up and carried it two feet backward.

Soon James was engrossed in yet another game.

This went on for a good thirty minutes, during which James got quite sweaty. Over time, he shed his pajama bottoms and shirt.

Now James cut a comical figure, crawling around on his bedroom floor in nothing but his boxers and undershirt, chasing after some goose down. In fact, he was so engrossed in his game that he forgot his window was wide open...

10:57 P.M.

"C'mon!" James hissed, "Go in!" 

The down feather was teetering right on the edge of the cup.

10:58 P.M.

James watched in horror as the feather fell off the rim, preparing to float downward. 

"Noooo!" James wailed, making a mad dash to his dresser on his hands and knees. In his rush, his foot caught around the leg of a chair, and he fell with a heavy thud. Making quite a scraping and clawing on the floor, he tried to drag himself up, but to no prevail. The feather fell down...

In one last resort, James gave one, last, almighty huff...

"James! What on earth are you doing?"

James squinted in the thin strip of bright light from the opened door. "Mum?"

Janine Potter stared down at her son, who was currently sprawled across the floor in his underwear.

"I er, was just... I tripped..."

Janine looked at her son skeptically, "Oh?"

"I was going to get some water,"

"I see... well... I never knew that my son liked to wander at all hours of the night in his undergarments..." Janine said.

James smiled, "There's a first time for everything."

Janine sighed, "James you know I've been very busy the last couple of weeks... I don't have the energy to come running up here at night... I just don't."

"I know, mum, I know. Mrs. Hopkirk can't get her own bum to the toilet, and you've been assigned to aid her around the house. I've heard this a million times before!"

"I'm glad that you know James, now please, just settle down? I'm going to bed... I was just checking on you. It sounded as if you were getting attacked by a hippogriff..."

"Okay mum. G'night,"

"Kids these days," Janine mumbled as he shut the door.

11:00 P.M.

James finally breathed a sigh of relief. That was close... too close. His mother might have suspected something...

The feather landed lazily in front of James's nose. He stared at it solemnly for a long time, eventually going cross-eyed. "Damnit," he whispered.

He drew himself back up to his feet and crawled back into bed. "Oh no, the pajamas," he wailed softly. He went back to where he put them(on his desk chair), and without much tidiness, he balled them up and stuffed them under the covers. They made a fine makeshift James. with much stealth, he snuck back to his chest of drawers and rummaged around for a pair of clean jeans. Having just about everything he needed, he sat back down on his bed and sighed. The minutes slowly crept by.

11:04

11:05

11:06

James turned away in disgust. He still had another hour's wait, just to be safe. with nothing better to do, he began to go over his inventory of mischief-making aids.

Slowly he picked up a bag of Filibuster Fireworks(red and gold), a lighter(he couldn't use a wand since he was under aged), a sac of Marcus Saftler's Makeshift Dung(looks, feels, and SMELLS like real cow manure), and one final, most-important thing. Smiling broadly, he let the moonlight reflect off of his Invisibility Cloak. This beautiful piece of woven magic was a gift to him from his grandfather before he died.

James's grandfather was a lively old man, though quite knobbly, who loved to terrify little Muggle children. So, obviously, he was James's idol. Unlike other children his age who ran away screaming as their grandparents began their "When-I-Was-Your-Age" stories, James sat and listened, totally enthralled. His grandfather's capers were often hilarious. In fact, it was his grandfather (along with some encouragement from Sirius) who had gotten him interested in anything and _everything_ prankish.

11:45

Contrary to popular belief, James had once been a good-mannered boy.

_Once...._

But, after so many afternoons with his granddad, warping his mind... he began to slip. _And besides_, James had often thought while he was being lectured, _It's not like I go looking for trouble... It's just that it's SO easy to find..._

12:00

Snickering softly, James gathered his belongings and began to slip out the window.

¤~*~¤~*~¤~*~¤

Lily yawned and stretched luxuriously as she woke. _Good morning sunshine,_ she thought to herself. Yawning again, she went over to the window to open the shades. Instead of finding a colorful world of sunshine and cheer, she found darkness. "What?" she gasped. She turned to look at her clock. It was a little bit past midnight. "Wonderful," Lily grumbled, "I was barely asleep for an hou—" she stopped. Something outside had caught her attention.

She watched intently as James crawled out of his window and fell, without much grace, into a clump of miniature spruce trees, and danced around trying to dislodge the needles from his bum. _What is he doing, wandering around at this time of night?_ "Morning," she corrected herself outloud, "Besides, he's probably just getting himself into trouble." But, try as she might, her curiosity got the better of her. Putting on some pants and a sweatshirt, she crawled out the window and into the cool night air.

¤~*~¤~*~¤~*~¤

James glanced around carefully. He couldn't risk the chance of getting caught. Making sure no one was around, he slipped on his invisibility cloak and vanished.

¤~*~¤~*~¤~*~¤

Lily slinked through the shadows to the wall. Carefully, she stepped around the edge of it and jumped.

She had expected to catch James by surprise, but instead she found nothing. "Where'd he go? He couldn't just vanish..."

¤~*~¤~*~¤~*~¤

James kept perfectly still. Lily, or what ever her name was, was inching closer with each passing second. Surely, if he did not move, they would collide. But, he could not move. He was too stiff with fright. If she heard him—_if she caught him_— it would be all over. He could just feel his chance of getting into Hogwarts slipping through his fingers, and that thought sent shivers down his spine. _Oh no, oh no, oh no..._

She was just about to graze his elbow now. 

_Oh no, oh no, oh no..._

James braced himself for the touch, the horrible scream, his parents waking up, _THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD WAKING UP_....

But it never came. 

"Strange individual," Lily muttered aloud, and did an about-face.

James gave a sigh of relief. He only noticed a couple of seconds too late that doing THAT was a big mistake.

"_James?_" Lily whispered in alarm, "Show yourself! I know you're here!"

Thinking quickly, James side-stepped around to Lily's back and clamped a hand firmly over her mouth. She tried to scream—to let everybody know that she was in trouble, that she needed HELP, that a maniac 11 year-old was probably trying to kill her— but to no avail. She finally settled for kicking behind her, where her toes came in contact hard with somebody's ankle.

"_Ouch! _You idiot! Are you trying to get us BOTH caught?" he hissed. Using his free hand, he whipped off the Invisibility cloak and stuffed it in a pocket. Lily said something,but it was muffled by his hand. "Sorry, say that again?" James asked. In response, Lily bit his palm.

Wincing in pain, James pulled his hand off of Lily's mouth and examined it in the moonlight. Deep red indentations were gouged into his flesh, and little flecks of blood seeped up from where her braces had cut him. He glared up at her through his dark fringe.

"So sorry," Lily smirked, "I guess you've learned now to always take your hand off of some one's mouth when they wish to speak, correct?"

James muttered something under his breath and cursed.

"Listen James," Lily said impatiently, "I know you're up to something...!"

"I am not up to something," James sniffed indignantly as he gingerly poked at the scratches in his palm... _Boy could she bite hard_... "I was just—"

But Lily cut him off. "If you weren't up to something, why did you use the term _caught_?" she turned around and smiled smugly at him.

"Oh shut up, and go back to your house,"James snapped. He didn't like to be mocked by anybody... Especially a girl... "I didn't _ask _for you to come out here... In fact, _why_ are you out here?"

"Why are _you _out here?" Lily countered.

"None of your damn business,"

Lily scowled at him. "Listen, I know that male hormones cause them to be a bit more... _aggressive_... but don't you think you could at least use some better language?"

"No,"

Lily sighed. There was absolutely no way of getting any answers out of him... "Look, James. Do whatever you have to do. Just leave me out of it."

"Leave you out of it?" James asked incredulously, "I never asked you to be _in _it!"

But Lily had already turned around and had started to walk back to her house. "Fine," James snarled after her, "Go ahead, and be a smelly prat! Just don't dare bother me anymore!"

"Fine," Lily returned curtly, without looking back, "I won't!"

"Fine!" James turned around and stalked around his house. He heard Lily opening her window with a slam that was loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood, but he didn't care. He wouldn't get caught. He was never caught before, so why should he get caught now? He slipped on his Invisibility Cloak and disappeared into the night.

¤~*~¤~*~¤~*~¤

Lily crawled back through her window and fell uncerimoniously on her head. She was still too angry about Potter's attitude toward her to care. How DARE he act that way to her! _After all, _Lily had reasoned later, _I'm the one who had to move away from the rest of my life. The least he could do was show a little bit of kindness. _But try as she might, she couldn't stay mad at him forever. She was the one who was being beastly to him, when he had tried to say "hello." _And _she shouldn't have been nosing around in his business... Maybe she should try to make amends, somehow.

She remembered the first time she ever met her best friend, Alison. Well, they weren't the best of friends back then. On the first day of first grade, Lily had spilled her grape juice all over Alison's neat, white turtleneck. She got yelled at from the six year-old after that, so Lily did the only thing she could think of doing... She spilled the remaining contents of her cup over her head and started laughing. Ali put her arm over Lily's shoulders and started giggling also, and for the rest of the day, they both ran around pretending to be the Grape Juice Twins.

Maybe Lily needed to do something like that. If she made an idiot out of herself for James's sake, maybe he would accept her, and maybe they would be friends... Or then again, maybe not. He could just label her a freak, and spend the rest of his life laughing at her for making a fool of herself. _Yes, _Lily thought to herself, _He'd probably do something like that. _Maybe the best thing to do is to talk to him, like they were both mature adults. But so far, talking to James like a mature adult seemed like a task as difficult and as dangerous as climbing Mt. Everest.

Lily crawled into bed and turned on her side. Maybe the best thing to do was just to think about it right now. She slowly closed her eyes, and drifted off into a restless sleep, trying to think of what to do about James.


	4. Lives are Shattering (a.k.a. I Couldn't ...

Disclaimer: None of the characters (except for in later chapters) in this fanficition belong to moi. They all belong to the wonderful J. K. Rowling. So please don't sue me. Oh yes, but several characters coming up in future chapters are mine... I'll let you know, though! Thank you for your time and patience. And now on to the story! *Giggles insanely*

Chapter Four: Lives are Shattering

. 

Lily groaned slightly and drew the bedding over her head, trying to block the early morning birds' chirping outside. She hadn't slept a wink last night. This was partially because of her little midnight excursion involving James. All night long, she tried to think of some way to make amends with him (he certainly wasn't someone she wanted for an enemy), but every plan that came to her always fell short

A rooster crowed in the distance.

The girl gritted her teeth angrily against the unwanted noise. She hated it here. Even in the wee hours of the morning, the dumb wildlife made various noises, and THAT didn't help her sleeplessness. 

The rooster crowed again.

This time, Lily lost her patience. She flung the covers (fluffy pink) off of her and stood up on her bed. She took a few steps, her feet sinking down into the cushy mattress. She rubbed her eyes to get the sleep out of them. She _hated_ mornings....

All of a sudden, Lily's foot sank so low that she fell over. Her forehead came in contact with something cold and hard, and let out a loud _thump_. Shouting in pain, she looked up rubbing her head. Strangely enough, Lily had taken a step too far and had fallen off of the edge of her bed. And even stranger than that, no one had woken up yet. There were no other surprised yelps. There were no hurried footsteps crashing down the hall. She sighed. When she was in THIS house, nobody seemed to notice her.

THIS house... That thought made Lily look up in surprise. The room she was in was not her own. The walls were painted an ugly neutral color—Lily picked it out as some variation of peach—and the trim was a hideous peeling yellow.... Then she remembered. Yesterday was the single most horrible day of her life... The day she had to move. HER room was now in London, probably being mussed up by some new family. A little 5-year-old had probably scribbled all over her beloved bedroom walls. A dog had probably already peed in the corner somewhere... 

She had to stop this thinking. Just imagining the mutilation her home was going through made her shudder.

The rooster crowed once more.

"Dumb bird!" Lily grumbled crossly. She still held her aching head. Another throbbing pain coursed through it. Standing up carefully, as not to aggravate her injury, she walked over to the window, where she threw it open. The world outside was still gray; the sun hadn't come up yet. "SHUT UP YOU DUMB FREAK!" she hissed at the bird.

As if in response, the rooster crowed back.

Lily quickly grabbed a nearby bookend and lobbed it out the window at the rooster. It missed it be mere inches. Screeching irately, the bird fluttered gracelessly to the ground. Puffing itself up indignantly, it let out a large screech. Then before Lily could hurl anything else at it, it quickly disappeared behind a neighbor's fence.

"Idiotic bird," Lily murmured crossly. Slowly crawling back into bed, she put her head under the pillows and attempted to fall back asleep.

¤~*~¤~*~¤~*~¤

Next door, a rumpled figure suddenly appeared with a faint _pop_ in the driveway. In the gray early morning light, you could almost make out a deep blue cloak swishing around the figure's bucked black boots and neatly combed brown hair on his head. Fumbling with a long piece of wood, the figure rapped the doorknob and mumbled a word in a language never spoken in these parts. With a small squeak, the door sprung open, and the figure stepped inside.

Thomas Potter tiredly shed his cloak and threw off his boots once inside the door. He ran a tired hand through his thick, brown hair and began to stumble towards the parlor, his feet hitting the ground unevenly and his shoulders becoming hunched. All around him, short, ugly creatures with tennis-ball eyes ran, picking up the various garments that he dropped. One even came up to him and asked in a high pitched voice if he'd like anything to drink. Thomas shrugged half-heartedly before falling into a rather cushy armchair.

Janine Potter rushed over to her husband as soon as she could. She didn't like the state of him. His robes were rumpled and stained with sweat, and his face was pale with exhaustion. "Thomas!" she cried and flung her arms around his neck. Thomas returned the embrace but dropped his arms quickly. "How's work? What's happening?" she began to pour him a cup of tea.

Thomas sighed. "Well," he began. 

At that moment, a sleepy eyed James stumbled into the room. At first sight of his father though, he dashed to his side. "Dad!" 

Thomas reached up and ruffled his son's hair. The already unruly locks began to stick up even more. "Dad, how are you? What's going on at the Ministry?" A barrage of questions hit Thomas, but he didn't say a word. He sighed again.

"James, your father has had it rough! Don't be a pest to him, " Janine snapped. The long hours of waiting for her husband have taken their toll on her too.

"'Tis alright," Thomas said quietly, "He's being no bother."

Janine looked at her husband sympathetically, "Please, Thomas, relax. I'll get James out of here. Then we can talk..."

"NO! The boy has a right to know what is happening." Thomas argued. James nodded his head vigorously.

Janine shook her head slowly, but she agreed, "Well then?"

Thomas looked his family straight in the eyes. "I'm sure you've heard the news?"

"What news?" James asked.

Thomas turned wide-eyed to his wife. "_You didn't tell him?_" he asked softly.

"N-no..." 

"Nothing?"

Janine shook her head. "He's really too young to be bothered by that, with him going off to school in just a few weeks..."

Thomas sighed. "The boy has a right to know. He needs to be prepared." he put his large hand on his wife's shoulder. "Could you at least show him the newspaper?"

Janine nodded her head softly and took a clipping from _The Daily Prophet _from her pocket. Hands shaking slightly, she held it up for James to read before letting out a strangled sob.

__

Four Muggles Attacked in Edinburgh: Three Dead

By Jason Wimbledon

__

August 2, 1971

EDINBURGH, Scotland, UK—

On the night of August 1, 1971, Mrs. Catherine Okerfelt, 37, came home to a grisly sight. In her home, she found the bodies of her three slain relatives. 

Her husband, Jacob Okerfelt,41, and her mother, Jaquiline Nelder-Stock, 65, were found dead in the parlor. Her only child, Simon, age seven, was found murdered in his bedroom. 

Later that night, Mrs. Okerfelt was also put under the Cruciatus Curse, but otherwise, was unharmed.

This massacre now has Muggle law enforcement puzzled. The victims showed no signs of struggle and there were virtually no marks of injury. The only thing present on the victims was a look of total surprise.

This, of course, is the work of the Killing Curse, as known to our officials.

A few other similar attacks have been occuring in other areas, namely Glasgow and Ayr. There, only Muggleborn witches and wizards were targeted.

However, the Ministry of Magic and League of Aurors are puzzled by the attacks. There have been no signs of Muggle torture or murder since the Killings of 1879. Not even the Dark Wizard, Grindelwald, was as bold as this.

This slow but steady uprising of mysterious murders has also been unnerving for many magical communities. There have been rumors that these new attacks are connected to the rising of a new Dark Lord, more powerful than those before him. As Ethyl Cluny says, "I'm now afraid to let my children go out to play. These attacks have just been getting more gruesome by the day."

Even so, Ministry officials are telling the public not to worry. According to Reid Kemp, the Minster of Magic, "The best Aurors are on the case as we speak." He also pleads with witches and wizards around the country, "Please, do not let these attacks destroy the livelihood of our community. Whoever those few renegades are, they will be brought to justice."

James's jaw hung open slightly in shock. He didn't _know_ about that. He couldn't imagine that his fellow witches and wizards were doing such things to others... He just didn't know....

"Janine, why didn't you tell him?" Thomas asked softly.

At this point, Mrs. Potter began to break down. Great racking sobs escaped her lips as she tried to explain. She tried to utter something, but it just came out as a jumble of quick sounds.

"Mum, it's okay," James said quietly. He knew the amount of stress his mother had been in the last couple of days. He just couldn't _bear_ to think of what she was going through, with what she knew. Slowly, he rested a shaking hand on her shoulder. Truth be told, James was now quite scared. He had never _heard _of anything like this...

"No, James, it's n—not 'okay'" Janine sniffed, "I should've told you. You had a right to know... A—and I was just to afraid to le—let you know. I didn—didn't want you to find o—out and get scared... I—I just didn't..."

James lightly patted his mother's shoulder. He couldn't be angry at her for trying to protect him.

Thomas drew his lips into a thin line. He didn't like this much emotion. It made him a bit uncomfortable. Quickly, he used the sleeve of his dirtied robes to wipe his wife's tears away, saying, "Janie, Janine, it's alright. You did your best. We all have to try now, or nothing's going to get better." 

Janine tried to stop the flow of tears, but failed. 

"Janine, do you want me to talk about this later?"

The woman nodded slightly, sniffing back more tears. Her shoulders bobbed up and down as she tried to regian her breath. Thomas motioned to his son to follow him into the kitchen. Slowly, trying to tear himself away from his crying mother, James followed.

Once out of earshot, Thomas spoke up. 

"James, things are really going to Hell in a hen basket at the Minsitry." He admitted.

James nodded numbly. He had expected his father to say something like that.

"And," Thomas continued, "We really don't know what is happening. I'll just put it short... What Minister Kemp was saying was a big load of horse shit."

James now knew that they were really in trouble. His father almost never swore. When he did though, it normally meant that something bad was happening...

Thomas ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know what we're going to do... The aurors don't have any leads so far.. The attackers just seemed to fall off the face of the earth after that night."

"But can't the Aurors use any spells or enchantmeents to find any clues?" James piped up, "They could always preform a Priori Incantatum."

Thomas smiled weakly at his son. "You always have the best ideas, James. However, there is one little thing missing..."

James looked up.

"We don't have any wands to trace them with. Right now, all of the aurors have no clue as what to do. This has gotten so bad that even Alastor Moody has gotten called in... He doesn't have a bloody clue either."

"Oh," There was a prolonged silence before Thomas spoke up.

"What am I doing?" he asked himself aloud, "You're only eleven years old, and I'm telling you all of this....I'm sorry James. I mean, you're going off to school in just a few weeks, so I can't worry you. This is already scaring the living daylights out of witches and wizards far older than you...."

"Don't be, dad. Everything's gonna turn out right. You'll see. We're gonna catch the murderers, and everything'll be just the way it used to..."

Thomas swallowed thickly and closed his eyes. He wished he could believe his son. He wished with all of his heart and soul, but he couldn't. If he told James _all _of what he knew, he'd shatter all of those dreams. He just couldn't bring himself to say it... Of course there had been more murders. There have been for the last five years, but he and his wife felt that James was just too young until now to cope with them. Even now he couldn't let his son know of _all _the gruesome happenings around the country.

__

¤~*~¤~*~¤~*~¤

The next few days passed uneventfully for Lily. James hadn't bothered to talk to her(which was for the best, she supposed). But for the last couple of days, it looked like he was just sitting inside his home, looking out the window with a forlorn look upon his face. She wondered why, but she didn't dare ask. If she did, maybe he'd chase her away while waving a butter knife...

No, that just wasn't his style. He didn't strike her as the psychotic type. Maybe he'd make fun of her instead until he made her cry... _Yep, that's it,_ she thought.

She slowly walked around to the back of her house where she was _supposed_ to be washing the windows. She groaned as she craned her neck to see all of them. What she saw nearly made her cry. Almost every single one was coated with a thick layer of grime. 

Lily sighed as she kneeled down on the wet grass. This was going to take a _really_ long time. 

She slowly dipped the sponge in the bucket of water by her side and proceeded to wring it out, when—

"LILY!"

Lily jumped with a start. The sponge slipped out of her hands and plopped into the bucket with a _slosh_, soaking the front of her shirt. The sudsy water got into her mouth and began to sting her eyes.

"What?" she choked..

"Get in here now!" came her mother's angry reply, "You've some explaining to do!"

Grumbling incoherently, Lily stood up and wiped some mud of her jeans. _What did I do wrong this time? _ she wondered. 

With a feeling of great uncertainty, she clomped through the back door. Hurriedly swiping the mud off her sneakers and onto the doormat, she searched for her mother.

Timidly, she entered the parlor, where her mother was waiting. She was sitting on the sofa, her legs neatly crossed. Her face was emotionless, and she wasn't red at all. Lily took this as a sign of danger.

"Lily Marie Evans," her mother said quietly.

"Mum," Lily answered back calmly. She couldn't lose her nerve now...

"You have a lot of explaining to do..."

Lily stared down at the toes of her muddied sneakers. "What'd I do?"

Quicker than lightning, Marianne jumped up. With a few quick steps, she was level with her daughter, and brandished a rather large, yellowed letter. "This." She stuffed it under Lily's nose. "You haven't been sending away for anymore of those stupid mail orders, have you?"

Lily looked up at her mother innocently. "Not recently..."

"Well, take it."

Lily obliged silently. With trembling fingers, she turned the package over and over again. It seemed to be made of very heavy paper—parchment maybe—and shimmering green letters spelled out the address. But something caught her eye. On the front flap of the envelope, a large golden wax seal was glinting. On it were—"Lion, Snake, Eagle, and Badger?"

"Well, what is it?"

"I really don't know," Lily answered dumbly, still staring at the seal. Underneath, words could just be made out: Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus. "Strange...."

Slowly she slipped a finger under each corner and gently ripped up the cover. Out tumbled two thinner pieces of paper and a large, red ticket.

"Lily," her mother said disapprovingly.

But Lily wasn't paying any attention to her mother's glare or sharp voice. Something on the parchment was _much_ more interesting. 

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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Dear Miss Evans,

We at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry hereby inform you that you have been accepted into our academy. You should find an enclosed list of all needed materials and books for the first term. Also, you should receive directions to Diagon Alley in which to buy your supplies.

Please contact us by owl before the 31st of July. We truly hope to see you on September 1.

Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Slowly, Lily dropped the letter to her side. "There must be some mistake..." she whispered quietly, "I can't be a—"

"A what?" Mrs. Evans asked.

"I... I mean... How can I be... I never was.... IF I was, which I wasn't, then why didn't.... This must be some sick joke of Potter's..."

"WHAT?"

Lily shrugged, her face pale as she handed the piece of parchment to her mother. As soon as she let go, she drew a shuddering breath before reaching for the other paper.

Mrs. Evans silently read the paper several times before looking up "Is this true, Lily?" she whispered, eyes wide.

"I dunno... I don't think... I mean, there's a list of stuff here anyways... A wand, robes, a cauldron... Dragon-hide gloves...."

"Let me see that." Mrs. Evans snapped suddenly. She snatched the parchment from her daughter's hand and began to read down the list. She froze abruptly before turning in the direction of the cellar. "RICHARD!" she shreiked.

There was a heavy clumping sound, and suddenly a very loud, rude four-letter word could be heard echoing up from downstairs. A few moments later there was the loud banging of a door being slammed. Soon, a very rumpled Richard stomped into the kitchen clutching a very large bruise on his forehead. "Marianne, next time, don't go screaming like a lunatic to get me up here... I forgot to duck this time..."

Marianne cut her husband off by shoving the letter under his rather large nose, her lips drawn into a thin, white line. 

"Marianne, wha—?" but he soon forgot his complaints as her started reading. His thick bushy eyebrows formed into a puzzled look as he continued reading. 

"Lily?" he looked up. 

"Yes daddy?"

Richard stared at his daughter in disbelief. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open stupidly. "Is... Is this real? Are you really a... a..."

"Witch?" Lily finished in barely a whisper, "I'm not sure..." In fact, Lily hadn't even thought of ANYTHING like that until today.

Richard shook his head, but looked straight into his daughter's emerald eyes, "Lily, please... Go upstairs and... and... do something.... Your mother and I have to... discuss..."

Lily stared back before nodding silently and turning towards the stairs. There was something in her father's eyes... It wasn't fear or disgust... It wasn't even shock... She just couldn't figure out what it was. As she climbed the stairs, she could hear her parents' hushed voices whispering excitedly, but she couldn't quite catch every word—

"What if...."

"How do.... she got it..."

"From your... Grand— seemed the type..."

"Maybe.... sign?"

"Whatever it.... luck..."

"....Blessed...."

A/N: Here ends chapter four. Please forgive the ending, I was running out of ideas (plus I was half asleep. I wrote this part at about midnight, and I normally don't stay up that late). This chapter may have seemed a bit dry, especially in Lily's part (it took me 3 weeks to write two paragraphs! GAH!)! Or perhaps it could be that I'm just lazy ::shrugs:: Whatever. I hope you all like the next chapter better.... It has little clips from Monty Python's Flying Circus! Yippee! I just _lurve _Monty Python, don't you?

AND MUCH LOVE TO THE PEOPLE WHO REVIEW! I LOVE YOU GUYS! ::hugs and kisses::

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	5. Confrontations and Adventures with Muggl...

Disclaimer: None of the characters (except for in later chapters) in this fanficition belong to moi. They all belong to the wonderful J. K. Rowling. So please don't sue me. Oh yes, but several characters coming up in future chapters are mine... I'll let you know, though! Thank you for your time and patience. And now on to the story! *Giggles insanely*

ALSO the little excerpts from _Defense Against Fresh Fruit _is from _Monty Python's Flying Circus. MPFC_ in turn belongs to Monty Python, a group of six hysterically funny men: Graham Chapman, John Cleese (Nearly Headless Nick in the movie) Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. To them, I owe not only a little device to lengthen the story (which, mind you, has NOTHING to do with the plot), but also hours upon hours of rolling around on the floor, clutching my sides. I love you guys... ::hugs:: Also, I don't really care if that show wasn't on in the daytime. Does it look like I care? No? Well, see, I told you so.

Chapter Five: Confrontations and Adventures With Muggle Household Items

Lily quietly shut the door to her room behind her. So she was a witch. So she had magical powers. Or so everybody _thought_... So _now what was she supposed to do? _She rubbed her temples with her fingertips. This was all too much for her to handle. First there was the move, and now _this_? 

"You don't look all bright and chipper today," said an annoyingly happy voice.

Lily looked around her room in a daze. Nobody was in her room except for her... Then she remembered to look up at the window. "_You_!" she breathed.

"_Me_!" came James's muffled reply through the glass. He was again sitting up in the tree, his legs dangling off the side of a branch. Lily rushed over to open the window for him, eager for a bit of company, no matter how irritating it was. 

"You've been quiet the last few days," Lily commented after she wrestled the window up, "I was hoping you got hit by a bus."

"Ha ha," James said dryly. He stepped through her open window and into her room.

Lily looked at him incredulously. "I never _asked_ you to come in here, you know."

"I never _asked _you to open the window, you know. I thought it was an _open _ invitation!" He grinned like an idiot. Lily just stared at him. James died a little. "It was a joke.. You know, you _opened _the window? An _open_ invitation? Get it? Ha ha?"

Lily laughed and shook her head at him.

"So you _do_ get it!" James announced triumphantly, "You're just a bit slow on the uptake."

Lily just laughed harder and clutched her sides. "It's just—" she choked, "You look like a moronic little git when you smile like that!"

James's smug grin faded. "I do _not_!"

Lily pointed to the mirror over her dresser. She was now just about doubled over in laughter. James walked over to it and beamed. His jet-black hair seemed to stick up in more ridiculous-looking cowlicks. "See? I don't look like a bloody idiot. I think I look quite handsome myself."

Lily now had a pillow over her face to muffle her laughter. James saw she had tears streaking down her face. "Come on," he said, "It wasn't that funny."

Lily was turning purple at the moment, but she managed to choke out, "You're absolutely right."

"I'm always right."

Lily chose to ignore that comment and went (hiccupping) on. "Really James, you haven't been your nauseating little self the last few days. What's been going on?"

James stared blankly at her. How could she know what's been bothering him? How could she know that more and more witches and wizards in the country were being murdered? How could she know that his father was all but joined at the hip with the Ministry officials for the last five days? She was a Muggle after all, right? "I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Don't lie to me, Jimmy. It's written all over your face."

"Don't call me Jimmy. Besides, why should I tell you anything? I barely even know you."

"I barely even know _you,_" Lily countered, "but you're here sitting in my room."

"I never knew you were _that_ type of girl, Evans." James snorted.

Lily stood up and kicked James in the shin, and he yelped. She'd barely been talking to him for five minutes and already she was losing her temper. "Honestly," she snapped, "You have to make some stupid bloody joke out of everything!"

"No I —" but he was cut off by Lily's mother yelling up the stairs.

"What was that, mum?" Lily called.

"Are you all right dear?" Came Mrs. Evans's concerned voice.

"I'm okay," Lily lied, "but I think I'm coming down with something!" she pretended to cough.

"Do you want me to bring you anything Lily?" 

"No thanks, Mum. I'm fine!" Lily lowered her voice and turned to James, hissing, "I was just trying to be nice, you know, after the way we started off—"

This time, it was James's turn to snap. "Well you know what? I don't need you to be nice to me. I don't even _want_ you to be nice to me! But just so's you know, I haven't seen my father _at all_ in five days! That's what's been going on. When he does get home, he crawls straight to bed without eating, so now he looks like he's the walking dead! I haven't seen him, and my mum's gone all but insane with worry! That's why I haven't been anywhere, because the bloody Ministry can't—" he caught himself.

"The bloody _what_ can't what?" Lily asked. There was a genuinely concerned look upon her face now.

"Forget everything I just said," James said testily, "Those matters don't concern you." _And I hope they never will, _he thought. With a frown, he stood up heavily and headed for the wide-open window. "You have no right to know." He glared at Lily coldly one last time before climbing out.

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As he was climbing down the oak tree, James mentally berated himself. He shouldn't have lost his temper like that. He almost leaked _very _important information to a Muggle! She had absolutely no right to know what had been up in the Wizarding World. And his little rant gave the impression that his family was falling apart. What a joke! He knew, that even in the midst of all this, his family would stay rock-solid. They always have, they always will! Right?

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Lily sighed and closed the window behind him. He was right, as usual. She barely even knew him, and already she was asking very personal questions. And to force him into answering? She had quite a lot of nerve... But still, he had walked right into her territory... Literally speaking.

Lily trumped downstairs lazily, and had grabbed the phone from it's receiver before she reached the bottom. Perhaps calling Alison would take her mind off things for a bit. Her long fingers punched in the all-too familiar number deftly. She waited for someone to pick up on the other line.

One ring...

Two rings....

Three rings.....

_C'mon, Als, pick up the phone!_

Four rings......

"Hello?" said a girl's voice, "Who is this, please?"

"Ali!" Lily almost screamed.

"But I'm Ali," Ali said.

"Alison, it's Lily...." Lily's heart sank a bit. Did her best friend forget about her already? 

The girl on the other line laughed, "I know that you dolt! I was kidding!"

Lily chucked nervously, "I knew that...."

"Of course you did. Say, how're things going in Sudbury? Did'ja make any new friends?"

Lily winced at the 'friends' comment. Ali didn't seem to realize how much that little bit hurt her. It was very difficult for Lily to make friends, especially since her thid year. Other children had labeled her "strange" then. Just because Lily accidentally began to make things splinter or explode when she got upset. One time, she accidentally made one girl break her arm when she broke the wooden frame of a swing set. The swing itself broke off, and the girl fell ten feet to the ground on her wrist. It wasn't Lily's fault that the other girl was making fun of her for the way her mother had done her hair that morning. But especially after that little incident, all the other children avoided her like the plague. She was the outcast. And to top all that off, she was a smart girl, the reluctant teacher's pet, always getting top marks in everything. And everyone resented her. Well, almost everyone.

There was the remarkable Ali, her best friend since the first grade. She was fun, and nice. And she was likeable. 

Lily thought for a moment. Likeable to most... Since she was hanging around with Lily, a few kids started to avoid her. Once, in fourth year, the pen of a child sitting in front of her exploded—not just leaked—_exploded_! That poor boy couldn't get the ink out of his hair for days. But ever since that mishap, a few people were more wary of her. The majority was still nice though. They didn't scoot away when she sat near them at lunch. They didn't snicker about her behind her back. They didn't even call her rude names! They had(along with Lily) just dismissed that as a coincidence. _The girl who was friends with the Evans freak just happened to be sitting behind the kid whose pen exploded... BIG DEAL! _That was everyone's attitude.

So while Lily, the freak _and _the geek hung back with a rude, snappish attitude, Ali went on being fun and nice and likeable to most kids. Except for one thing. She was as stubborn as a mule. That drove a lot of people up the wall.

Whenever anyone made fun of Lily, Ali was always there, ready to back her up, in spite of all the rumors that might be circulating about her the next day. And when they tried to convince her that Lily wasn't normal, Ali would just say that Lily was her friend, that Ali herself was always right, and that was the end of that. Whenever she got into an argument with anyone—about Lily, homework, Lily, research assignments, Lily, spelling, or Lily—she'd all but cover her ears and chant "I'm right, you're not, I win," over and over. You couldn't tell her she was wrong. Not even Lily could.

Ali was the most stubborn, headstrong jackass that Lily knew. 

And she was grateful for that.

And she thanked God for that.

She was what kept Lily sane.

So she swallowed her grief and proceeded to tell her best friend of James, the strange young man who sat outside her bedroom window and started arguments. Then she told her about how she caught him wandering around at night, and how he crawled right through her opened window and threw a hissy right in the middle of her room.

Ali laughed. "This kid does sound awfully cute though! How old is he again?"

"Our age," Lily said, "I think."

"Oh.... I thought he was about six..." Both Ali and Lily laughed.

"But he isn't the strangest thing around here though," Lily said, "Just today I got this _strange _letter, saying some rubbish like I was a w—"

"Hey," Ali said flatly. Lily could hear her little sisters wailing about the wrong telly show in the background. Then there was the sound of something going _clunk_ and_ smash_. One of the little girls screamed. Ali muttered, "Little brats," under her breath. "They just broke one of my porcelain dolls! My granny gave me that one! I loved that one!" and then—"Georgia, GET AWAY FROM THOSE PIECES! THEY'RE SHARP!"

"Maybe I should go. You sound er.... busy right now."

Ali snorted. "Tell me about it. And later, do you believe... Mum asked me to take the brats to the doctors with her this afternoon. They have to get their shots done. I guess somebody's gotta be there to hold 'em down. Or maybe to crawl under the chairs to get 'em and stuff. Sounds fun, eh?"

Lily giggled in spite of herself. "Good luck! Sound's like you'll need it!"

"Yeah, thanks," Ali said. "I'll call you back when l get home, alright? It may not be for a while, mind you..."

"That's fine. Whatever I have to tell you can wait for a bit."

"Okay Lil. I'll talk to you later?"

"You bet." Lily grinned as she heard the click on the other line. Maybe mum and dad'll let Ali stay at their house for the remainder of the summer. She really needed a break from just her sister and James to talk to. She gently hung up the receiver. That sounded like a good plan for the rest of the summer. Besides, Ali would probably love this place. Even with all of the work the family had been putting into it, the house still looked just as old and haunted as it did when they first arrived. Lily grinned even wider and turned making her way to the parlor. She knew that Monty Python would be on in just a minute. 

This was actually a pretty good day. She talked to a friend, she was brewing plans for the summer, and her favorite telly show was on.

Suddenly Lily collided with something—someone—tall and lanky, and she fell backwards to the floor. Lily shook her head and looked up. The gray eyes of Petunia stared back down at her.

"Hi Petunia," Lily said cheerfully from the floor. "Monty Python's on soon. Do you wanna watch it with me?" she stuck out her hand for Petunia to help her up. Petunia didn't take it.

"Pet, can you help me up?"

Petunia stared down at her sister. Lily was now starting to get a bit unnerved. 

"Petunia, what's the matter? Did I hurt you?"

"Lily...." Petunia whispered softly, "Mum and dad just told me."

"About what?"

"You're a witch?" Petunia asked in amazement.

Lily snapped back to her senses. She had almost forgotten about that. She knew it could affect her life, _if _it was true. "Oh, that. That's what the letter says. I'm to be going to a boarding school of sorts, I think. To learn magic.... Or so it says. I think it's just some dumb hoax."

"I don't think so," Petunia murmured, "Look out the window." She grasped Lily's outstretched hand and heaved her up. Lily slowly walked over to the large bay window in the parlor and gazed out. On the fencepost right outside their property a large tawny owl perched, it's huge eyes wide open. "The letter you got said to contact them by _owl_ right?"

Lily nodded slowly, her mouth wide open. 

"And owls are nocturnal, if I am not mistaken. And mind you, I passed sixth year biology, so I probably am not mistaken. Lily, it's still bright and sunny out. Does that say—scream—something to you?"

Lily nodded dumbly again. In a pine near by, she saw yet another owl. This one was wide awake also.

"Lil, you're shaking, did you know?" Petunia asked offhandedly.

Lily looked down at her hand quickly. It was shaking uncontrollably. She tried to clench it into a fist, but it only closed half way. "I—It has to be a hoax, Petunia." she said shakily, "Magic... It—it isn't real. It's only a diversion—sideshow—at carnivals and on the telly and..."

"Lily, stop kidding yourself. It's what you are. You can't deny that." Petunia looked her sister straight in the eye, "And Monty Python gives me nightmares." 

With that, Petunia turned and walked stiffly upstairs, leaving her sister to ponder what she just said. Especially the part about the nightmares....

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As soon as she was sure that Lily couldn't see her, Petunia scowled. So Lily, her little sister, just happened to be a witch. _Wonderful_, she thought bitterly. She stomped angrily to her room and threw open the door. It hit the wall with loud bang, and Petunia could just imagine Lily jumping at the sudden noise. It made her grin. 

She flopped tiredly onto her bed and pulled out the novel she was reading. Something about Merlin and Arthur's half-sister, Morgan LeFay. A story of good versus evil. A story of magic. Petunia threw it across the room in disgust. 

Lily had never believed in magic and the supernatural. And all those gifts were wasted on her. And Petunia—the one who wanted nothing more than to be a part of Merlin's world, to wield a wand, to cast spells and enchantments—she got nothing. She got absolutely nothing except the sister who got everything. 

For all her life, Petunia wished that magic was real. She had read all the books on the great sorcerers and sorceresses. She remembered running around her house when she was younger and pretending that she could fly on a broomstick. She often made wands or scepters out of sticks she found around in the schoolyard. She wanted to be magical with everything she had in her.

And yet it was Lily who got it. It wasn't fair. The one who believed magic was a farce got the gift that the one who believed coveted. 

But Petunia knew she should be happy for her sister. This was big. This was _very _big. She couldn't let her sour little attitude spoil it for everyone. She should just grin and bear it. But she had a few things to do first.

Petunia went to her closet and pulled out a box from the move. Then she proceeded to pick up the book she threw across the room and hurled it into the box. Then she swiped all the fantasy books from the bookcase and into the box. She took all the posters off the walls, all the figurines off her desk and threw them all, unceremoniously, into the same box. She broke the head off of the porcelain figure of a wizard in dark blue robes and lobbed it out the window. It landed in a neighbor's lawn.

Finally she took one last thing... A picture of her and Lily from Halloween seven years ago. Lily was dressed up in a frilly pink fairy's gown, the cloth wings hanging from her shoulders. She was smiling, her long red hair flowing down her back. She was beautiful. Petunia was beside her, in long black robes and a witch's hat, holding up a magic wand. 

Petunia held the picture in her hand for so long. She stared at it. Then she put it, face down, on her desk.

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Mrs. Evans and Petunia walked out the door. Lily waved them on. She knew Petunia needed her school uniform for the next year. She could hear the two talking through the closed door. They wouldn't be back 'til late, she knew that. All the better. Watching Monty Python was better when you could laugh out loud without anyone telling you to shut up.

She had just sat down on the couch with a bowl of popcorn when there was a knock on the door. She looked at it, but did not answer it. Lily was no idiot. Whoever-it-was knocked again.

"Evans, I know you're in there!" yelled a voice. A very agitating voice at that. Lily chose to ignore it again.

"Do I have to break in, or are you going to invite me?!"

Lily yelled back, "No one's home!"

"Oh alright," the voice said again, "I see Lily's window is open. I'll just climb up and wait for her then!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Coming, you git!" She called. She calmly walked to the door, taking her time. Then she unbolted it and opened it a crack. "If I let you in, what will you give me?"

James looked at her with wide brown eyes. "My heart," he pouted.

Lily rolled her eyes again and attempted to slam the door in his face. But something caught James's eye. In a corner, he could see figures moving about a flat screen. He held out his arm.

"No, really Evans. I came to say that I'm sorry for losing my temper earlier."

Lily opened the door wide this time. "Really?"

"No," he stepped inside. "and I was joking about the heart thing too."

"I figured as much," Lily said dryly as James sat himself right in the middle of the couch in the parlor. In Lily's seat. Munching on Lily's popcorn. She frowned. "Is it a custom in this part of the country to just barge in whenever you feel like it?

"Bloody hell," James said, "Are you that thick? Of course not. But I'm just a boisterous and outgoing little boy, I am. This is how I make friends." He flashed an insincere smile. 

Lily put on a fake smile herself. "Oh, I see it now. This is just like what dogs do when they sniff each other's asses. Only this is much more rude."

"Yes, kind of." James looked up at her from the TV. "Then would you rather if I sniffed your ass?"

Lily looked appalled. "Of course not!" she nearly screamed.

"I didn't think so," James said calmly. He turned his attention back to the box-with-moving-pictures. He looked just in time to see a large, animated foot squash a group of words with a farting noise. It all happened too quickly. He couldn't see what they said.

"Get out of my seat," Lily said.

James looked up at her. "No."

"Why?"

"I feel quite comfortable here, thank you very much."

Lily sighed and then sat herself down on the couch also. As far away from James as she could, of course. "Could you at least pass the bloody popcorn?"

James looked down into the bowl. "It doesn't look bloody to me. Is there something about you I should know about?"

Lily fed his own words back at him with a scowl. "Why should I tell you anything? I barely even know you. Just watch the television."

James looked down at his hands. He did feel bad for being rude earlier, but she didn't have to rub it in. He handed her the popcorn without another word.

"Thank you," Lily said.

"Don't mention it," James said with a frown. He looked back up at the—what did she say?—Tellesivon? Whatever. On its front side he could see five men in white tee shirts and shorts lined up, shoulder to shoulder. In front of them was another man in the same white uniform, barking orders. So this was what Muggles called entertainment?

"Evans," He asked, "Can I go get a drink?"

"Help yourself Potter," Lily said, not taking her eyes from the screen.

James got up and walked his way to the kitchen, looking all around him. This was what a Muggle's house was like? James looked at a portrait on the wall. He stared at it. For a very long time. None of the people moved. 

_What a bore!_ James thought, and looked the other way. On a small wooden stand near the stairs was a small, shiny box with a dog-bone shaped device on the top. A long, curly cord ran from the box to the dog bone.

James took a quick glance at Lily to make sure she wasn't looking. Then he quietly picked the shiny dog bone up and held it in front of his face. Then he saw something else. On the box, there was a dial with numbers. He stuck his finger in a random number and turned. The dial spun around and then clicked back into place. He did that again several times. _Now this is fun,_ he thought.

Just then he heard a faint ringing. James put the thing to his ear. 

"Hello?" said an aggravated voice. It sounded as if it were from far away. It also sounded as if the person speaking had no teeth.

James froze.

"Hello?" The voice asked again.

James could feel the breath rising and falling in his chest. He was sure that the old man at the other end could hear it too.

"Goddamn kids!" the voice roared loudly. James bit his lip. He had the terrible urge to either burst out laughing of run away screaming. _"I'LL FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE, YOU LITTLE HELL RAISER, AND WHEN I DO, I SWEAR ON MY WIFE'S GRAVE THAT YOU'LL WISH YOU'D NEVER BEEN BORN!"_

James slammed the thing down onto the shiny box. Those things were dangerous! Those things were amazing!

He giddily continued his way to the kitchen. When he got there, the room was dark. His hands groped the doorway, and they soon found a smooth switch. He flicked it up, and to James's utter amazement, bright light flooded the room. He blinked. _That _was unexpected.

He quickly searched through all the cabinets for a glass, then proceeded to search for a drink. He looked in every single cabinet but could find none.

"Evans!," he yelled over his shoulder, "Where'd you put the drinks?"

"James, stop being stupid! They're in the refrigerator!"

James looked around. Ok, so they were in the refligergrator, but where was that? _What_ was that?

"Where's the...." he stopped. He didn't want to say it wrong. "Thing?" he finished lamely. 

Lily stomped through the doorway. "Honestly James, are you blind? Maybe you need a better prescription." She brushed past him quickly and went over to a large yellow box with doors. From it she plucked two bottles. One of water, one of apple juice. "Which one?"

James looked down at his glass. He didn't want Lily to see that he was turning red. "I'll have the juice."

He should have known. He checked every cabinet in the kitchen _except_ for the large yellow cupboard in the corner. That was dumb.

Lily took the glass from his hands and set it on the counter. "Do I have to pour the drink for you too?" she asked jokingly.

James shook his head, his hair flopping all over the place. Lily laughed then turned and ran back to the parlor.

After he got his drink, he left the bottle of juice on the counter. He didn't want to know the surprises that were in for him if he opened the refligergrator.

James went back to the parlor and sat on his respective side of the couch. The six men in dumb white uniforms were still there, he noticed, and now they were in an argument. This was boring. James looked out the window. He should be getting home soon. It was getting dark. 

_"WELL I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING, MY LAD! WHEN YOU'RE WALKING HOME TONIGHT AND SOME GREAT HOMICIDAL MANIAC COMES AFTER YOU WITH A BUNCH OF LOGANBERRIES, DON'T COME CRYING TO ME!"_

James yelped. The apple juice in his glass spilled all down the front of his shirt. Lily snorted. "This isn't scary!" 

"Shut up," James said angrily. He tried to wipe the juice off his shirt with his hand. Lily handed him a napkin. The man in the tellesivon went on. He obviously didn't see anything wrong with nearly giving James a heart attack.

_"Bananas. How to defend yourself against a man armed with a banana. Now you," _the man motioned to a someone in line._ "Come at me with this banana. Catch! Now, it's quite simple to defend yourself against a man armed with a banana. First of all, you force him to drop the banana. Then, second, you eat the banana, thus disarming him. You have now rendered him 'elpless. "_

Another man in line spoke up_, "Suppose he's got a bunch."_

The man in front of the line snapped_, "Shut up."_

"Suppose he's got a pointed stick."

"Shut up. Right now, you Mr. Apricot!"

"Harrison,"

"Sorry, Mr. Harrison. Come at me with that banana. Hold it like that, that's it. Now attack me with it. Come on—"

James looked away from the tellesivon. He normally liked strange things, but this was a bit too strange. Lily, beside him, was going into hysterics. Apparently, Muggles had an odd sense of humor. 

James stood up and stretched. Lily managed to calm down a bit and looked at him. 

"Where are you going?"

"I think I'll be going home," James said. With that, he turned and walked stiffly out of the room. 

"Alright James. Goodbye then." Lily turned back to the telly. "Close the door tightly please. It doesn't stick very well."

"Yup," James said tiredly, "I'll annoy the bogies out of you tomorrow, then you gitty little Redhead?"

Lily stood up, her mouth open. "We were being perfectly civil about everything, and you have to go—"

James laughed heartily and went outside. Before he could turn around to shut the door, however, it was slammed in his face.

"I did the job for you, you jerk!" Lily shouted through the door.

James only laughed harder.

A/N: Aaand that's a wrap on chapter 5! I'm sorry it was so long. I just couldn't help myself. Now run along and reviewlike good little children and adults... but if you're on this site and you're an adult (i.e. old enough to hold a steady job, drive, and you don't live with your parents), I think I'd be forced to call you a loser. ^_^ J/K!


	6. The Hogwarts Express (a.k.a. the Horribl...

Disclaimer: None of the characters (except for in later chapters) in this fanficition belong to moi. They all belong to the wonderful J. K. Rowling. So please don't sue me. Oh yes, but several characters coming up in future chapters are mine... I'll let you know, though! Thank you for your time and patience. And now on to the story! *Giggles insanely* 

A/N: Paragraphs in _italics_ are flashbacks, if you couldn't figure that out. That is all.... 

Chapter Six: The Hogwarts Express

Lily grunted with exertion as she dragged a trunk as large as she was through door to her room. Tomorrow she was to be off to her new school. She sighed as she threw various items into the trunk. Ten whole months without seeing James, without hearing so much as a rude little peep from him. It made her smile.

Of course, she had seen him numerous times after he invited himself into her house and ate her food, but it was with his parents, and he was being perfectly civil. She had also seen him running around the outside of his home with another dark-haired boy. They set off a couple loud explosions in the nearby woods, she knew that. What she didn't know was how they got their grubby little paws on explosives. 

Lily looked to her trunk. She still couldn't believe the items that were in there. Just a few days ago, she and her father made a trip back to London to visit _Diagon Alley_, following the directions she received in the letter. What she saw was right out of her wildest dreams. 

First, they had to find a dirty little pub called the Leaky Cauldron. Lily could find it perfectly, nestled right between a book shop and record shop, but her father didn't fair as well. 

__

"Lily, I think you're going a bit crazy. There's nothing there!"

Lily shook her head. "Dad, look. Right there. Between the music shop and book store. See the sign? It says 'The Leaky Cauldron.' This is it!"

Richard sighed. "I think it's time we asked for directions. Obviously there's been some sort of misprint in the letter."

Lily grabbed her father's hand roughly and started to lead him to the pub. He tried to yank his hand away. "Lily, be rational!"

"Fine, do it the hard way," Lily said as she opened the door and disappeared inside.

Richard stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded. His daughter had just disappeared_! Suddenly a small hand reached out to grab his wrist, and Richard felt himself being dragged through a doorway. The pocket of his pants became hitched on the door latch. He tugged himself free and looked about._

The pub was small, but it was filled with people of every sort. Actually, he wasn't sure if half the people were_ people. Some had green skin and boils, others looked perfectly human only they were dressed in very strange garb. A few in the corner glared at him with golden eyes, their sharp teeth jutting below the jaw._

"Well, this certainly looks like the place," Richard said sheepishly.

Lily smiled as she thought back. The Alley itself was even more spectacular. It twisted and turned sharply at odd angles everywhere, with the strangest looking shops lining the road. Hundreds of people milled about, and she saw a great deal of children her age and older. They, no doubt, were preparing for school also. 

The shops held many off-the-wall things, like beetle eyes, strange books that glowed different colors, solid gold cauldrons, _dragon_ liver, multicolored dress robes, and flying broomsticks. The most interesting of these shops, however, was the one called _Ollivander's._

But Mr. Ollivander said he would not accept their Muggle money. It had to be in _Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. _So he redirected them to the Wizard's Bank, Gringotts, to exchange their cash. Ho hum. That part wasn't very exciting, except for the fact that short little men with very hairy faces and pointy ears in velvet suits rushed about all over the place. She actually saw two of them knock each other over from behind large piles of precious gems. 

After buying all of her school supplies (plus some things she didn't need), she went back to Ollivander's to get her magic wand. 

He was a rather old man, with the palest grey eyes she had ever seen. At first glance, it might have seemed as if his eyes were pure white. He ran around his small shop at an alarming speed, gathering long boxes of every kind from the shelves. 

_"Here. Try this," Mr. Ollivander said. He handed her a long stick. "Cherry, phoenix feather. Thirteen inches. Give it a wave."_

Lily did so, and almost immediately a window behind her cracked. "Sorry...."

Mr. Ollivander didn't say a word, just yanked the wand from her hand and gave her another one. "Oak. Dragon heart string, nine inches. Inflexible."

But before she had a chance to wave that one, it too was yanked away. He gave her nearly twenty other wands, all of them being taken away. Lily actually began to feel as if there was some sort of mistake, that she wasn't magical after all. When she dared to voice that thought out loud, Mr. Ollivander shunted it off. "Nonsense. The wand chooses the wizard, Miss Evans. Your wand just happens to be particularly shy. It doesn't seem to want to show itself. Willow. Unicorn tail hair. Ten and a quarter inches. Pleasantly swishy. Give it a try, dear."

Lily took the wand and instantly felt a pulsing in her fingertips. The wand felt pleasingly warm, and began to glow with a pale silver light.

"Wonderful child!" Mr. Ollivander cried. He gently took the wand from her hand and all but danced to the checkout. 

Lily snapped the lid of her trunk shut with a smile. Tomorrow would be an exciting day.

***

Lily jogged up ahead of her family, trying to figure out exactly where platform 9¾ was. 

"Lily, it isn't here!" her mother shouted for about the hundredth time that morning. "We've asked everyone! Didn't you see the way that gentleman looked at us when we asked him?"

Lily went to lean her tired form on the barrier between platforms nine and ten. "We can't give up now." Suddenly Lily let out a terrified squeak, and the next moment she was lying flat on her back looking at the ceiling. Groggily, she rubbed her head and looked up. 

Above her was a scarlet sign that read Platform 9¾. And to her left was the most amazing steam engine she had seen in her life. It was a bright candy apple red, with golden wheels that shone in the bright morning sunlight. Golden letters on the side spelled: The Hogwarts Express.

Lily's face broke into a huge grin as she went crashing again through the barrier.

"Mum, Dad, Petunia! Over here!"

Mr. Evans rushed over to his daughter's side, his face bright red. "Lily Evans! Where were you? You disappeared— You had us worried sick!"

"Oh, you should see this," Lily laughed. She grabbed Petunia's hand quickly and dashed through the barrier again. Only this time there was a sickening crack and a howl of pain. Petunia reeled back from the brick wall, clutching her bloodied fingers. Mother rushed over to her older daughter with worry. Petunia couldn't get through the barrier. 

Lily came back through the wall with a look of shock on her face. Petunia was doubled over with soft sobs, clutching her injured hand to her chest, and mother was by her side, smoothing out her hair.

"Oh no. Petunia, I'm so sorry! I didn't know you couldn't come through!"

Petunia heard herself choke out the words "It's alright," but she glared up at her younger sister through a veil of blonde hair. Her sister just had to rub everything in, didn't she? Not only did she get the letter, but she could pass through the barrier, while Petunia could not. It was like a slap in the face.

Lily's face was one of genuine grief. Petunia felt herself despise that face, with her lightly freckled, perfect nose and bright green eyes. _You probably did that to make me look like a fool, didn't you? _Petunia thought venomously.

Lily went over to hug her sister as an apology. Petunia felt her muscles stiffen.

"The train leaves in just a few minutes," Lily said softly, speaking to her parents, but not taking her eyes off her sister, "I guess I should say goodbye then,"

Marianne sobbed as she went to hug her daughter one last time. Lily could feel her mother's body shaking just a bit with each breath. They both knew it would be the longest they would ever be from each other. "I love you mum," Lily whispered.

Next Lily went to Richard, who stooped down to give her a quick kiss on the forehead. "Be good," he told her, "Do your best and stay out of trouble." he smiled. Lily grinned back. 

"I love you too, daddy."

Lily turned to smile at her sister one last time before leaving. Petunia's face was set like stone. Unnerved, she picked up her trunk and proceeded to drag it to the barrier. 

Petunia hesitated, but grudgingly went up to her sister and grabbed her by the shoulder with her good hand. Lily whirled around. 

Petunia's eyes stared coldly down into her sister's. Then in a whisper that could only be heard by the two of them, Petunia said, "You lucky little pin-headed twit... You'd better make us proud." she gave Lily's shoulder a squeeze. Then turned and walked away. She didn't look back. 

Lily gazed at her sister sadly before turning herself and walking through the barrier. She didn't stop for anything. Just squeezed her way between the throngs of teary-eyed people. She shoved a few of them out of the way bad-temperedly. Tears filled her own eyes. She wouldn't cry though.

Lily was finally able to wrestle her trunk into the steam engine as its whistle blew. She sat down wearily in the empty compartment and rested her head on the window. She watched tiredly as all the waving people grew smaller and smaller in the distance. She watched as the small children ran along the platform, trying to catch up to the train as it sped away. Then she closed her eyes and let the movement of the train soothe her. And she thought.

She thought of the way her sister glared at her when she injured her hand just then. She had never seen such hatred coming from her sister's eyes before. 

Lily couldn't understand it. She and Petunia had a very good relationship before this. In fact, Petunia was actually a very good sister. She always used to talk while walking home from school, joking and laughing, with Lily. Sometimes she even invited Lily to come along when she went out with her friends. She never really seemed to be ashamed of having her little sister tag along everywhere. She taught Lily to sew when she was younger and even did her hair when she was little. 

Of course her sister could get snappish and irritable. She would sometimes get very moody when Lily dared to enter her room without knocking, and she would throw things at her sister to get her out. Soft things, of course though. She was unbearably surly during the move, but it had hurt her, too. 

She definitely wasn't the perfect sister, but she was good, nonetheless. Good enough for Lily. 

Then she remembered Petunia looking down on her coldly. Even when her sister was upset before, she never glared at Lily like that.

_"You lucky little pin-headed twit... You'd better make us proud."_

Lily bit her lip. There was ice in that voice that she had never heard before. She couldn't understand it. It scared her.

And though she tried not to, Lily cried.

¤~*~¤~*~¤~*~¤

James and his tall, dark haired friend Sirius stumbled down the hallway to an empty compartment, laughing heartily all the way. He and Sirius had just finished with giving another first-year a hard time. The poor boy's name was Snate, or Snake, or something, and the two friends were making fun of him for his greasy slicked-backed hair. In all truth, James felt the tiniest bit of shame in laughing at the poor kid, but it was just too funny. Besides, once Sirius got going, he was as hard to stop as a freight train.

Sirius reached passed James to slide open the compartment door. "That look on his face was just _too_ funny!"

"Yeah, I guess it was..."

"What do you mean _you guess_?"

"Never mind,"

"James, what's eating you?" Sirius looked at his best friend with a look of worriment on his face.

But James didn't answer. His attention was turned to something else. There was someone else in the compartment that they hadn't noticed before. It was a rather tired-looking boy with sandy brown hair, his nose stuck in a book entitled _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection. _But what caught James's eye was that he was _small_. His legs swung above the floor by a good three inches, and he only looked to be about eight or nine years old. The boy also seemed not to notice that James and Sirius were standing in the doorway. Either that, or he did not care.

"I didn't know they were letting dwarves in this year," Sirius said. There was no malice in his voice, however. It was just playful banter, the kind that Sirius always used to speak.

The smaller boy seemed to notice that and looked up. Both James and Sirius broke out into a grin. 

"Sorry about him. He only has about three brain cells to his name."

At that comment, Sirius laughed and slapped the back of James's head. James, (now with his glasses dangling dangerously from one ear and under the nose), stuck out his hand. "Anyways, the name's James Potter."

The smaller boy took his hand, but before he got the chance to speak, Sirius pointed to his own chest. "And this idiot's name is Sirius Black."

James stopped and stared at his friend. "You know you just called yourself an idiot,"

"I know. I knew that was going to be the way you introduce me, so I saved you the trouble."

"No I wasn't,"

"Oh yes you were. I know you James..."

The boy snorted into his book. James and Sirius stopped bickering abruptly. "And you are?" they both asked.

"Remus Lupin," he smiled and returned to his book.

"Why are you _reading_ this?" Sirius asked as he took the book from Remus's hands, "We haven't even started school yet!"

"He can read and get a head start on things if he wants to! Besides, Defense Against the Dark Arts is supposed to be very exciting and... exciting!"

Sirius rolled his blue eyes. "Honestly James, you don't really believe what _she_ said do you?" He turned to Remus, "My cousin Sarah—" at this he pulled a face— "said that you had to pass an admittance exam or they'd send you home. Can you believe THAT?"

"If they don't give you a test then," Remus asked, "what do they do then?"

James shrugged. "Maybe they have you do something that every witch or wizard can do. Like the magic you're able to do when you're scared or angry.... To make sure that you really _are_ a wizard."

Sirius had a look of revelation cross his face. "Maybe.... Maybe they have you blow colored sparks from your ass!"

"You do that when you're scared? Oh, that's priceless!"

"Hey! I never said—!"

Remus laughed again, but he turned back to his book. James saw the section he was reading. Werewolves. It seemed very interesting to Remus at least.

And James took a closer look at the smaller boy. His clothes were desperately wrinkled, like they had been tossed in some corner for a week. He also had great bags underneath his eyes, making him look as if he hadn't slept a wink in days. Yet despite that, even though he was reading, James knew the boy was alert at all times. He might be looking out for someone. Possibly it was that Slytherin third year, Marc Doyle. He was always looking for new little first years to pick on. James knew that, because Sarah had told him. 

None of the boys spoke for a few minutes. Both Sirius and James expected for Remus to look up from his book, to talk, but he said nothing. He looked totally content with the company of his book. But James knew. The boy was shy.

Sirius finally lost his temper. "It's quite obvious that he doesn't want us here, isn't it?"

"Yeah... I guess he doesn't," James said half-heartedly. 

As if on cue, Remus looked up from his book. He was just in time to see the other boys get up to drag their luggage to another compartment. "C'mon. Let's go."

They thought they heard the sound of Remus's feet as he slid to the ground and half expected him to call out to them. He didn't. As they turned down the corridor, James looked back to see if Remus was following them. He wasn't. James felt bad. The poor kid looked lonely, and James just wanted to be friendly. Just like how he thought Lily looked lonely and frustrated, and needed company. When he tried to be nice, it almost always blew up in his face. 

As soon as they were in an empty compartment, Sirius turned to face James. "I really didn't like that Lupin kid anyways. He seemed... strange... to me." Whenever Sirius's feelings got hurt, he always tried to put all the blame on someone else. James rolled his eyes.

"You say that about everyone we meet." James switched to the tone of a nagging mother. "Honestly boy, I can't take you anywhere!"

"No, really James. He didn't seem... right..."

James threw his hands up in an _I give up_ expression and sprawled out over two seats. "He seemed alright to me. Just a bit quiet."

Sirius sat down on the floor. "Exactly. He was quiet... Too quiet."

"Kid's just shy,"

"He was reading a book. _Reading a book_ James. We haven't even started a bloody term yet. And he didn't even bother to notice us until I said something."

"Like I said. He's a shy one, he is."

This time it was Sirius's turn to throw his hands in the air. "He's got something wrong with him, I tell ya! Believe me James, I can tell these things!"

James only laughed at his friend's paranoia.

A/N: Ok.... Chapter six... done.... My fingers hurt, my eyes hurt, my butt's numb, all because I slaved over this dumb plastic box for four hours each in two days to bring you this. I hope you enjoy it! :) Oh, and if you don't like the way I portray Remus, well tough toenails. I get sick and tired of reading Marauder stories with him being oh-so-popular and handsome just like Sirius and James. My friend Ali hated the way I made him (yes, the Ali in the fic is based on real-life Ali, just so's you now...)...

Also, for those people who said they liked my fast updates? That's an illusion. I already had the first five chapters typed out. From about the seventh chapter on, the updates are going to be coming a bit slower. It takes me about 2-3 days to write a chapter, but now it may take about 5-7. I'm sorry about this, it's just that I re-started school recently, and between that and extra-curricular activities, I just won't have time to write some nights.

Also it could be that I can't type for beans, but that's really not my problem, now is it? Ok, maybe it is....

I'm very sorry to all of you, but if you all really like the story, I'll find some way to continue as fast as I can. Love to you all.


	7. Strange Children, and the Sorting

Disclaimer: None of the characters (except for in later chapters) in this fanficition belong to moi. They all belong to the wonderful J. K. Rowling. So please don't sue me. Oh yes, but several characters coming up in future chapters are mine... I'll let you know, though! Thank you for your time and patience. And now on to the story! *Giggles insanely* 

Chapter Seven: Strange Children, and the Sorting

Lily's head bounced as she heard the compartment door open, and she took a quick look out the window. The scenery outside was dark now, and no one had really bothered her on the train ride to school. She looked toward the doorway.

A girl about her age stood looking at her from underneath a fringe of light brown hair. She arched her eyebrows.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hi," Lily said.

"Can I sit?"

"Sure,"

The girl dragged her trunk in behind her and stuffed it underneath one of the seats and sat down next to Lily. 

"I'm Lily Evans," Lily said sticking out her hand, "what's yours?"

The girl shrugged but didn't take Lily's hand. "Julie... Julie Burgesen."

"Oh," Lily took her hand away. 

Julie stared blankly at the other wall for a few minutes. Something there must've been very interesting to her. She didn't take her sleepy looking blue eyes away for a second.

"So..." Lily said.

"So what?" Julie managed to spare a short glance at Lily, but turned her head away quickly.

"We're almost there, you know."

"Almost where?"

Lily looked at the girl in shock. "You know... The school?"

"Oh... That..." The girl let out a short laugh. "Exciting though, isn't it? My older brother went to Hogwarts."

Lily smiled. So the girl _could_ talk. "What is he doing now?"

Julie shrugged. "Nothing, I suppose. He got his sorry ass expelled in his third year. Mum and dad're trying to find a school that'll actually take him. He's only fifteen...."

"How'd he get expelled?"

Julie grinned and laughed again. "You don't wanna know." 

Lily nodded. "Yes I do."

"No... Believe me... You don't."

Lily grinned back. 

About another hour passed, and Lily and Julie talked for the whole trip. Lily soon found out that her new friend was extremely vulgar and had a sick, twisted sense of humor. She noted that James had never been as perverted as this, and couldn't see why she had shunted him. But then again, she was never the butt of Julie's jokes or language. If Julie ever met James, she'd surely give him a run for his money.

Julie was standing on one of the seats waving her arms around and clucking like a chicken when the train finally lurched to a stop. She lost her balance and fell flat on her face, and Lily burst out laughing.

"Fluck you (A/N: FLUCK is NOT spelled wrong. Don't ask)," Julie said as she hauled herself up off the floor. Lily went over to help her new friend get up, but Julie didn't bother.

"You ripped your robes," Lily said as soon as she was able to calm down.

Julie glanced down at her black school robes. There was a large tear running from the hem to her knee. She shrugged. "Sexy,"

Lily burst out laughing again and Julie smiled and rolled her eyes. The two girls wandered out into the corridor where all the other children were beginning to file out of the train. Lily noticed that some of the other first years were getting kicked and jostled by the older children. She gulped. What if life at Hogwarts was just going to be one big kick-around-the-runts fest? How long would it last?

"FIRS' YEARS! FIRS' YEARS OVER 'ERE!" someone boomed. Lily looked to see where the voice was coming from. She gasped at what she saw.

Standing in front of her was a very large man. He looked to be over eight feet tall and was about three times as wide as any other man she'd seen in her life. He was dressed in a very long overcoat and had a thick, bushy black mane. Beside her, Julie tried to stifle a giggle.

"What's so funny?" Lily demanded. The giant, who had introduced himself as Hagrid, was leading them down a small dirt path to a lake.

Julie shook her head and nodded for Lily to continue. But she wore a smile. An insolent one at that. She was probably thinking things she shouldn't be.

The giant man turned around abruptly and stopped. He grinned, and his two black eyes scrunched up warmly. Lily thought he reminded her of a teddy bear she once had. Of course Hagrid was much larger though. Lily went to tell Julie this, but decided against it. Julie would infer something and probably twist that comment into one huge, disgusting mess that Lily just didn't want to deal with. Julie seemed to infer a lot of things.

Slowly Hagrid stepped aside and raised his huge dinner-plate sized hands. A chorus of gasps and whoops erupted from the children. "Welcome, all of yeh, to the greates' school of Witchcraft 'n Wizardry in th' world..... Hogwarts!"

Behind him was an enormous castle, sitting on top of a high mountain on the other side of a lake. All of its towers and turrets seemed to glow with twinkling lights. Even Julie was enthralled with it. In fact, she wasn't watching where she was going, and stumbled over an uncovered tree root. Several other children snorted.

Hagrid didn't seem to notice. He led them down to the water's edge, where several small row boats were waiting. "Watch yer step now. The ground's all muddy. And all of yeh! Sort yerselves out, no more 'en four to a boat!" Behind him a boy whimpered as his shoe sank into three inches of muck. "I SAID WATCH YER STEP!" 

Lily and Julie clambered into a rowboat. Almost immediately it began to glide across the inky black water, creating smooth little ripples which distorted the reflection of the castle. Lily skimmed her fingers along down by the sides of the boat. The water was icy cold, but she loved it.

All around them, the tiny boats containing two, or three, or four people floated quickly towards the castle. They seemed to be charmed with some sort of spell; they knew exactly where they were going. Lily also noticed that Hagrid took up one entire boat by himself.

Beside Lily, Julie was sitting with a blank look on her face. She leaned over and whispered into Lily's ear, "Mis pecho es grandes,"

Lily tore her eyes away from the glowing castle. "What?"

Suddenly Julie stood up in the rowboat. It rocked dangerously. "MIS PECHO ES GRANDES!" 

Hagrid roared for the stupid girl in the front boat to sit down, and Lily would have laughed if the boat had not capsized. In a second the two girls were dumped into the icy cold lake, screaming.

Lily had never been so cold in all her life. The water pressed on her from all sides, she couldn't breath. It was dark, she couldn't see, and she was terrified.

Suddenly a hand burst down from above and caught her collar. It hauled her up, up, up.... Lily thrashed madly to get away from the hand. It was wrapped around her collar and was slowly twisting the fabric tighter and tighter.

Lily broke the water gasping for air. Julie still held on to her collar. If hypothermia didn't kill Lily, Julie's death grip surely would.

"Leggo of me," Lily sputtered.

Julie let go of Lily's robes and pushed her over toward the upside down boat. Lily grabbed it thankfully.

"Sorry a-about that," Julie said simply. Lily noticed, with pleasure, that her teeth were chattering wildly.

"Were y-you trying to get us k-killed?"

"N-n-no, it just seemed like a f-f-fun idea at the time."

Julie's nonchalance infuriated Lily. "You're stup-p-pid, you know t-t-that? You want to get 

y-yourself expelled j-just like your brother?"

Julie turned defensive. "No, you f-freak,"

Lily was just about to snap back when she felt something slimy graze her foot. "What was that?" 

"What was what?"

As if to answer her question, something long and slimy rose out of the inky water, covered in suction cups as big as hubcaps. Lily paled. The thing was huge, and it was coming straight towards her. She could see it happening almost as if it were in slow motion. The long tentacle was reaching out towards her head, about to crush her. She heard Julie behind her saying, "Oh, you mean _that_,"

Lily clamped her eyes shut as the thing came down on her head. She didn't want to see the bringer of her death in the murky water. Instead she waited for the blow, for her to be dragged under....

But it never came. She dared to open her eyes a sliver. Julie was treading water, a large grin on her face, but she wasn't looking at Lily. She was looking past her. Lily turned around. 

The large tentacle had wrapped itself around the capsized rowboat and was turning it over slowly, great splashes of water going everywhere. Lily could feel the icy water as it rushed over her head once again. She sputtered. 

Hagrid had just arrived in his small rowboat. It had taken him a good while to get where they capsized. He was a very big man, and it was a very small boat. "WHAT DO YEH THINK YOU WERE DOIN'?"

Julie turned around slowly in the water and looked up at him with her sleepy eyes. "I dunno,"

Hagrid was visibly trying to calm himself as he grabbed Julie by the shoulders of her robes and set her down in her boat. "You coulda killed yerself with that 'lil stunt, yeh know. And yeh coulda killed _her _too, 'cause you weren't being right in yer head!" Lily noticed, as he picked her up and lectured her, that he was very red in the face. She had the sinking feeling that Julie was going to be in a lot of trouble.

"We'll see what th' Headmaster has t' say 'bout this," Hagrid grumbled deeply. He towered over Julie, but she looked back up unafraid. Suddenly he reached into his overcoat and pulled out a little glass bottle. The liquid inside it was an angry red color. "Take a sip o' this," he said gruffly "Professor Dumbledore always said teh be prepared. I knew this'd happen some day... lt'll warm yeh up. Hold yeh through til' the sortin' ceremony's over. Then yer going to the infirmary."

Julie took the small vial and uncorked it. She handed it to Lily. "You first,"

"Why?"

"To make sure it isn't poison,"

Lily rolled her eyes as took the vial from Julie's hands. She lifted it to her face and sniffed it. A spicy, burning scent wafted up into her nose and made her eyes water. She gagged.

"Drink it," Hagrid said simply. It was an order.

Lily pinched her nose and tipped the bottle into her mouth. Half of the liquid spilled onto her tongue. It burned like fire. She tried to swallow it, but it seared her throat on the way down. She started to cough violently, and when she did, little puffs of smoke issued. Julie began to laugh, but Lily bad temperedly poured the bottle's contents into her open mouth. Julie began to sputter viciously.

Hagrid impatiently tapped the back of the girls' rowboat with a large pink umbrella and it sped off across the lake again.

***

Lily felt the boat jerk suddenly as it hit the embankment near the castle. They seemed to be in some sort of underground chamber, most likely underneath the castle. Slowly she began to get up and stretch her legs. She marveled at the fact that she did not feel cold at all, even after her plunge into the lake. Instead of pain of numbness, she felt only a warm tingling throughout her body. She figured it must've been the potion's doing.

Lily stepped out onto the rocks along the water's edge and jumped onto the dry land, Julie doing the same behind her. All of the other children were already walking over a large lawn to a huge set of double doors. Lily glared at Julie. They were the last ones because of her. Julie only shrugged and looked on blankly as she continued walking to the doors. She didn't seem to care that Lily was angry with her at the moment.

Immediately the two giant doors swung open, and the children were greeted by a strict-looking professor wearing dark blue robes. "Welcome children," she spoke, her voice strong and unwavering, her words brisk, "to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Hagrid went up to the woman and spoke quietly to her. She nodded and looked towards Lily and Julie. Lily gulped. Julie, as always, had the blank look on her face. "I see, Hagrid," she said softly. Abruptly she turned her attention to the rest of the children. "My name is Professor McGonagall. I will lead you to where you are to be sorted. Please follow me."

The professor turned on her heel quickly and set a brisk pace up the stone steps and into the heart of the castle. The children hurried to keep up. Professor McGonagall lead them to another set of double doors, smaller than the first, but just as grand. Behind them Lily could hear voices joking and cheering loudly. She bit her lip. There were more people here than she would have imagined.

As if the professor could sense Lily's anxiety, she said, "Now don't be nervous. Even though this is an important part of the next seven years of your life, there is no need to worry. The rest of the pupils will be more than happy to assist you in anything you need. Just remember, however, that your house is your family. Treat them with the respect you would for your own family members. Now please wait here _quietly _while we prepare the rest of the students for the Sorting Ceremony, and _don't try pulling any foolish stunts._" Several children looked at Julie. She kept on looking ahead blankly.

Professor McGonagall turned quickly on her heel and disappeared through the set of doors. Lily thought about the professor's words. "_The rest of the pupils will be more than happy to assist you in anything you need." _ Lily had almost laughed out loud at that comment. from what she saw on the train, the first years were given a generally hard time by the rest of their older peers.

McGonagall reappeared_. _"Follow me through the doors, please. The Ceremony's about ready to begin."

Lily gasped as the two wooden doors swung wide open. She hadn't expected to see so many people here. She felt her legs begin to shake with fear. There were too many people. Way too many. Was she to stand up in front of all of them?

Around her, many of the other children began to pale. Julie, however, looked straight ahead. None of this seemed to bother her.

All the children walked, two by two, to the front of the giant room. Lily noticed despite her fear, that there seemed to be no ceiling at all above the room. It was just open to the vast, starry sky.

In front of them, Professor McGonagall placed a rather old, dirty hat on a small stool. Lily wondered if they had to make it fly or something.

Suddenly the hat began to sing loudly for all in the hall to hear. Lily tried to be polite, to listen, but the words were all just a blur. She was too nervous to focus on what the hat was saying.

When the hat had finally finished its song, Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a large scroll of parchment in her long fingers. "Sit down on the stool and place the Sorting Hat on your head when I call your name, please.

"Black, Sirius!"

A tall boy with raven colored hair stepped up to the hat confidently. In one quick motion, he scooped it onto his head and flopped heavily onto the stool. After only a few seconds, the hat's rim split wide open and shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" Everyone burst into cheers.

Sirius leapt off the stool and took a ridiculous-looking bow for the whole hall to see. Then he strutted toward one long table with a bright red banner above it. On the banner was a golden lion.

"Brocklehurst, Jonathan!"

After a few minutes the hat boomed, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Burgesen, Julianne!"

Julie looked and grinned at Lily before walking up to the hat calmly. It seemed to sit on her head for an awfully long time before it shouted out "SLYTHERIN!" The table with the green snake banner erupted into cheers for their first new member.

"Dennehey, Michaela!" 

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Earnstaple, Darien!"

Lily began to shake even more as Darien ran off to the Ravenclaw table. She had to be very soon. She might even be next! She now cursed her awful last name.

"Evans, Lily!"

Lily thought she heard a small squeak come from the part of the line behind her. She ignored it though. She needed all of her concentration now, to just put one foot in front of the other. Lily hated huge crowds, and the fact that her robes were still wet didn't help her at all. The other children just seemed to stare at her even more.

She bent down slowly and painfully to pick up the hat, restricted by her wet, heavy robes. The potion seemed to be wearing off now; she could feel the cold numbness in her toes.

The hat flopped down over her eyes, and Lily relaxed, for it hid the crowd from her view. She tensed up again as the hat began to speak to her however.

"Lily Evans," the hat whispered into her ear.

"Hat," Lily stammered back, very softly. A few children in the front row snickered.

"So," the hat went on, "A very bright young girl. You'd make a fair Ravenclaw, you know. Courage is also present... And a whole lot of it. That's the sign of a true Gryffindor."

Lily bit her lip nervously. _'Where are you going to put me?'_

"This is a very difficult decision, you know," the hat said. "You could do very well in both houses, there's absolutely no doubt about that. But where should you go?"

Lily clamped her eyes shut. 

"Ah! The first potion you ever saw was red, correct? And that is also the color of your hair... I know this sounds a bit silly.... but.... GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily exhaled, relieved, as she walked over to the table lad in scarlet. So this was to be her house for the next seven years. She glanced at all the faces. Not one of them seemed to be monstrous or angry or mean. They all looked at her with genuinely smiling faces, glad to have her here. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

But then she remembered. Her first friend here, Julie, was placed into another house. She looked over sadly at the Slytherin table. Julianne stared back at her, her blue eyes melancholy. She didn't smile or wave, just looked back at Lily calmly, sorrowfully, then looked away. Lily bit her lip again.

Lily sat, bored, as the rest of the sorting droned on. There was nothing much to do here, except to clap when some other kid managed to find their way to your table. Instead. she looked around at the other characters that were already there.

There was one girl who looked to be about three years older than she was who was sitting at the other end of the table. She was rather plump with mousy brown hair and had a lot of freckles. She turned and saw Lily looking at her and smiled. Her two front teeth stuck out at odd angles.

Lily smiled back weakly and returned her attention back to the sorting. Another boy was just sent to her table, and she noticed in amusement that he was about a head shorter than every other person in line. She noticed again that he seemed very tired. And again she noticed that he seemed to look very benign and gentle, with kind-looking gray eyes. Lily smiled at him, and he smiled back and very timidly took a seat next to her.

After sitting in silence and watching three other children go into Ravenclaw and Slytherin, Lily opened her mouth to say something to the boy. 

"Hi," she whispered.

The boy looked startled for a moment, but then he smiled. "Hello,"

Lily was about to say something on the dullness of the sorting, but then something caught her attention. A certain name....

She thought it was Potter.

Lily shrugged her shoulders. It couldn't be _him_. That boy was still back near Middlesbrough, and Lily wasn't stupid. The odds of him being magical just like her were too large. There was absolutely no way that he could be here. She turned back to the boy.

She was about ready to open her mouth again when something else caught her attention. The boy next to her looked at her with a bit of curiosity. Why did she keep stopping like that?

But yet another name had reached her ears. A name that she knew so well....

It couldn't be.... Lily looked over to the Hat just to be sure. She gasped at who she saw....

It was Alison.

She was sitting on the stool, her hands gripping the sides so hard that her knuckles turned white. The eyes behind her oval shaped glasses were squeezed shut, and her teeth were bared in a grimace. She seemed to be concentrating very hard. Perhaps the hat was giving her a hard time.

Finally after what had seemed like an eternity, the hat shouted out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Ali, who was now red in the face from holding her breath so long, happily bounced over to the Gryffindor table, and happily sat herself down in the seat next to Lily. She beamed. "Surprise surprise,"

Lily pinched herself underneath the table. It stung. All this was real. Her best friend was actually sitting at the table next to her, a witch, and she was _happy_. Lily guessed that it wasn't just because she was a witch. She looked like she would almost burst into tears of joy sitting next to Lily.

The two girls managed to sit in silence as the last child, Zarvis, Taylor, was placed into Hufflepuff house.

Lily suddenly grabbed Ali's shoulders and shook. Hard. "You're a witch!"

"So are you!" Ali said, trying to pry Lily's hands from her shoulders. "Now let go of me!"

Lily dropped her hands, but Ali suddenly drew her best friend into a quick hug. She pulled back abruptly. "Why are you all wet? Were you one of the kids who got dunked in the drink?"

"Yes, Miss Evans was one of the children to get 'dunked in the drink'."

Both girls stopped laughing quickly and looked up. Professor McGonagall was towering over them, her lips drawn into a tight line, with Julie standing right behind her. The rest of the hall was silent, every pair of eyes on them.

"And she is also one of the children preventing the Headmaster from giving his start-of-term speech!"

Lily gulped.

"Miss Evans, if you were to stop your discourteous gabbing, would you follow me up to the infirmary?"

Lily shook her head yes, then got to her feet slowly. She nodded to her friend, then silently walked out of the Great Hall with the Professor and Julie.

Up in the front of the room, Headmaster Dumbledore watched the redhead follow McGonagall, his blue eyes twinkling intently. He did not remove his gaze from her until she disappeared behind the two wooden doors. Then he stood up, cleared his throat loudly, and began.

"Welcome to Hogwarts...."

A/N: I'm SO sorry for not updating. It's been what... Almost two weeks? I'm deeply sorry, but I've been busy with school, my life (haha, that's a good one! I have so much of a life that I'm writing fanfiction!), and other activities. Please don't let these gaps between updates discourage you though! Keep on reviewing!!! 


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